A Time for Every Purpose
by Im2xshy
Summary: My take on the way things might have gone if Edward hadn't left in New Moon. Not for Jacob lovers. The story's not, like, mean to Jacob or anything, but since Edward doesn't leave in New Moon, they don't form the friendship they did.
1. Chapter 1

1.

To say I was surprised to open the door and find Peter and Charlotte standing there is a bit of an understatement. Okay, well, I smelled them as they got to the house _before_ I opened the door, if you want to get technical about it. Suffice it to say, I wasn't expecting them…and neither was Alice.

This is going to give Edward a meltdown.

Emmett, Alice, Rosalie and Edward are on a hunting trip in Northern California.

Carlisle, Esme and I have stayed behind to keep an eye on Bella. She kind of needs round the clock protection. Ever since the James thing, Edward's been afraid to leave Bella in town unprotected. We still don't know where Victoria is and no one truly trusts Laurent, even though we know he's still up in Alaska.

Of course, I tried to kill her myself on her 18th birthday. But not because I wanted to or anything. Because in that one moment, when I smelled a few drops of blood from her finger, I _needed_ to kill her.

Bella smells pretty good. She doesn't smell as good to me as she does to Edward, but believe me, she smells pretty good.

An odd thing happens to me though when I'm placed in charge of her well-being. I become desensitized to her. Like in the ballet studio, yeah, I had to leave with Emmett, but I was in there for a while before I did and I didn't go nuts then.

Carlisle's at the hospital; Esme's upstairs on her computer redesigning the whole house I'm sure, and I don't go to school anymore.

The others aren't due home until tomorrow night.

"Esme," I call out casually. "We've got guests."

Esme was down in the living room in the blink of an eye. Her eyes are wide with surprise. We all like Peter and Charlotte. Peter and I go back a century.

Peter and Charlotte are not vegetarians.

"What a surprise!" Esme quickly recovers and gestures everyone into the dining room.

"A surprise?" Peter says. "I thought for sure Alice would have seen us coming."

"She's hunting with the others in California," I say.

"You didn't go with her?" he asks.

"No. Esme, Carlisle and I stayed behind this time."

"This time?"

"For Bella," Esme says.

"That's the human, right?" Peter asks. "The one Edward was so obsessed with the last time we came through?"

"Yes," I chuckle remembering Edward's sheer inexplicable insanity before Bella was even _speaking_ to him. "They're a couple now. They've been since just after we saw you last." Best get that out there straight off. Peter and Charlotte understand that Forks is off-limits to them, and they've always respected it before. But it's especially good for them to know that there is one human in particular that is absolutely forbidden to them, too.

"They're a _couple_?" Peter asks incredulously.

"Yes." Esme smiles. "She's a wonderful girl. She loves him dearly, and, well, you saw how he feels about her."

"Edward's with a human?" Peter is thoughtful. It _is_ hard for our kind to comprehend. We all thought he was crazy too, at least until we met her. Actually Rosalie still thinks he's crazy.

"I can't fathom the restraint that it must take for him," Charlotte says.

"A lot," I confirm. "But he loves her, and he's very strong."

"No doubt," she nods.

"I have to confess that I've never _quite_ understood this way of life, Jasper, but I can grasp the mechanics of it. But to be with a human so closely, so much…well, that's just something incredible."

"It's easier when you abstain from feeding on humans." Esme smiles. She's gentle in her tone, but her eyes are full of warning.

"Forgive my curiosity," Charlotte says, "but does she know? What I mean to ask is, does she know what he _is_?"

"Yes," I confirm. "She knows what we all are. She reasoned it out."

"Amazing," Peter sighs, clearly impressed and intrigued.

"And the Volturi?" Charlotte asks.

"They don't know about her," I say flatly.

"And we'd like to keep it that way," Esme says.

"Of course," Peter assures us. "We have no wish to make anything difficult for you, brother."

"We understand," Esme says. "It's just that Bella means a lot to all of us, you see."

"That's quite plain." Peter smiles.

Just when I am starting to think that things might go easy this visit, I hear the rumble of Bella's ancient truck coming up the driveway. Esme and I exchange looks.

"If you'll excuse me," she says rising out of her chair. "I'm going to call and make sure Carlisle is running on time tonight. He won't want to miss your visit."

Yeah, right. She's going to call Edward and tell him to get his ass back here. Now.

"What on Earth is that noise?" Charlotte asks.

"Well, it seems that you'll get to meet Bella sooner than I thought," I say. "That's her truck."

"It's awfully…loud," Peter notes.

"Unfortunately, she refuses to part with it," I sigh. "Edward's itching to get her something faster. The thing certainly doesn't break any land speed records."

I hear the truck door slam and her feet running across the gravel. I certainly hope she doesn't …

"Omph!"

…fall. I sigh again and stand up. Now I'm going to have to explain skinned palms to Edward. Let's hope that's _all_ I have to explain.

"Jasper!" she yells before she's even up the stairs. She's looking for me? Odd.

Bella and I get along very well…notwithstanding the time I tried to kill her…but we also give each other a wide berth whenever possible. She knows how difficult it is for me to be around her sometimes…as evidenced by the time I tried to kill her. So, it's a little strange that she's actually seeking me out now.

But, then again, with the way trouble seems to find Bella, or she runs right to it, maybe it's not so strange.

"Jasper!" she shouts again flinging open the front door.

I streak to the living room before she has the chance to go on an unescorted rampage through the house.

"Bella!" I say, as I appear quickly at her side, that protective instinct surfacing in me immediately. Peter and Charlotte rise out of their chairs and move curiously to the living room as Esme emerges again at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, Jasper!" Bella says breathlessly. "Good. I need you."

"What's the matter? Are you all right?"

"No Jasper!" she says earnestly. She drops her backpack off her shoulder onto the floor and bends down, rummaging through it. Peter and Charlotte look highly intrigued…and highly entertained.

Emmett's right; everything is more entertaining with Bella around. At least there's some excitement now.

She's muttering to herself as she roots through her bag. It's a nonsensical stream of words…much like when she's asleep…about the unfairness and pickiness of someone or another.

"Ah!" she says finally and emerges with a piece of paper, which she instantly shoves at me. "Look!"

My eyes focus on the large letter in front of me. "It's a C."

"A C! I've never gotten a C in my life!"

"In American History," I say, taking the paper from her.

"It's not just _that_, Jasper," she says indignantly. "It's an essay on the role of Texas during the Civil War. And _apparently_ I have completely confused the Battle of Galveston with the Second Battle of Sabine Pass and my entire average is going to get dragged down now."

I take the paper from her hands and scan the contents. "Bella, the Battle of Galveston was a _Navy_ battle."

"Yes. So Mr. Monahan said."

"And Sabine Pass – wait a minute. Why are you asking me?"

"Weren't you there?" she asks wide-eyed.

"Yes, but how do you know that? Did Edward tell you?" I ask suspiciously. Not that I care that Bella knows my story, but I would have thought that Edward wouldn't want her to really know my past. It's quite gory and rather frightening, especially for someone like Bella.

"Um, no, not Edward."

"Alice," I nod.

"Yes, but she only told me that you were there then."

"I was."

"Well, help!" she pleads. "I promised Mr. Monahan that I'd rewrite it over the weekend and it would be the best essay on Texas during the Civil War that he's ever read. So, guess what you and I are doing this weekend. Wait, you weren't doing anything this weekend, were you?"

"Bella, Bella!" I chuckle trying to get her to slow down on her own first before I manipulate her. "I will absolutely help you. I was only going to hang around here…"

"And babysit _me,_" she says with mild annoyance. She doesn't like the measures Edward has taken for her safety. One thing Bella is always adamant about is that she never inconveniences other people, most of all any of us. What she doesn't understand is exactly how our family works.

"Quite frankly, I'm surprised any attention at all was paid to Sabine Pass. It was incredibly insignificant."

"See!"

"Jasper, maybe we should get Bella settled up in Edward's room?" Esme suggests gently. Edward probably insisted we lock her up there and guard the door, but I'm not going to let her out of my sight, especially after she gave me the slip in Phoenix, the little minx.

"I think she'll be okay with us," I say. "Besides, I'm sure she'd like to meet our guests."

"Guests?" Bella asks, she finally notices the two vampires behind me. "Oh!" She unfortunately flushes beautifully with embarrassment at her entrance. I can feel the tension in Peter and Charlotte rise and quickly endeavor to diffuse it.

"Bella, this is Peter and Charlotte," I say gesturing behind me to my old friends.

"It's nice to meet you!" she smiles. She holds her hand out to shake theirs, but before she can fully raise it, I grab it and yank her to my side. I hope Peter and Charlotte don't notice how I try to move her just slightly behind me.

Now I know why Edward was such a lunatic the last time they were here. Keeping Bella alive can make a vampire anxious…and neither Peter nor Charlotte has demonstrated that they're any kind of threat to her yet. Well, other than their existence and their normal diet that is.

"Jasper, what the hell? You're acting like a maniac," she mutters to me, as Peter stifles a laugh behind a cough.

"Let's sit down," I suggest, pulling her to the couch with me. Esme settles on her other side. "I'm sure you're curious about each other."

I look at Esme's large clock on the wall and mentally tabulate how long it will take the others to get back from California and sigh. Not nearly soon enough.


	2. Chapter 2

I have a beta. If I could write poetry, I would write about how wonderful my beta Rick is. He's my beta from The West Wing fandom and when I had a meltdown writing in a new fandom he was kind enough to tell me to get a grip.

This is my first time posting in the Twilight fandom. I have another story that I have about 7 or 8 chapters of that I was writing first, but then got blocked on because this one popped into my head.

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Bella lets out an unladylike yawn as she crawls onto the couch in Edward's room and burrows under the covers there. It doesn't look like it's going to take her long to fall asleep. Esme called Charlie with a fabricated story about how she fell asleep here while I was helping her with her paper.

There are easily five or six blankets on this couch. I think Esme went a little overboard. Bella's never slept over here before. It's November and our house tends to run a tad cold for a human, but since she's started coming around, Esme and Edward have turned the heat on when we knew she was coming. We didn't know today and so it's taking a little while for Edward's room to warm up. Quite honestly, before Edward met Bella, I didn't even know this house _had_ heat.

Her eyes get heavy and she smiles at me like the child I know is in there somewhere. I chuckle down at her before sitting down on the floor in front of the couch.

"You're staying in here?" she asks surprised.

"For a little while, yes," I say. "Then I'll probably go back downstairs with Peter and Charlotte. You don't sleepwalk, do you? I don't have to worry about you taking a header out the window or anything?"

"Ha. Ha."

"Well, it could happen. Look at tonight, the one day that our non-vegetarian friends choose to drop by unexpectedly, you deliver yourself on a silver platter."

"They didn't look like they want to eat me."

"Well, I'm just going to keep you out of the way of their temptation, if it's all the same to you."

"You don't have to," she says quietly. "I know it must be difficult for you right now."

I pause before answering her. I can feel her embarrassment and reluctance at bringing this subject up and I have to admire her for her bravery in doing it anyway.

"Actually…I'm completely fine now. It's when it's not _my_ job to keep you alive that I have to struggle."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know," I confess. "But it's interesting, don't you think?"

It's kind of strange talking to her like this. I've never really talked to her like this before, just her and me. It's kind of nice.

"I've learned to expect the unexpected in this house," she replies.

"It's funny you say that," I smile. "It was so monotonous before you stumbled into our lives."

"Jasper, really. Why don't you go down and talk with your friends?" she says. "You really don't need to put yourself out because of me."

"First of all, Bella, I don't sleep, remember? I'll have plenty of time to talk with Peter and Charlotte. Secondly, I'm not putting myself out. When are you going to finally understand that you are not an inconvenience to us?"

"As long as I'm human, I don't think I'll ever truly understand," she whispers.

"I have enough as it is to explain to Edward tonight, you're not taking me down _that_ road, too. Besides, I am definitely _not_ the right one to change you."

"How do you know it won't cure you?"

"Don't make me think about it, please, Bella."

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

"What was it like back then, Jasper?" she asks with a yawn. "I always read about all this honor and loyalty everyone had then, and how much more polite everyone seemed to be."

"Well, I was in the army. We were only polite when a lady or a superior officer was around."

"But see that right there is my point. You were polite around a _lady_. Boys today aren't like that. I can't believe all the fart jokes and swearing and all sorts of things that come out of boys' mouths around me on any given day." I hold back my laugh because, well, I'm in the presence of a lady. Her voice gets even quieter as she continues. "You and Edward are a lot alike, you both wanted to be soldiers. You both wanted to fight for your country, but your country wasn't this country, yet it kind of was. Hey, do you think you'd be considered a veteran of a foreign war?"

"Are you _always_ like this right before you go to sleep?" I ask and she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. She shoves at my shoulder for good measure, and the only reason why I know that's what she was doing is because I can feel the warmth of her fingertips through my shirt.

I hear her breathing even out and I stare aimlessly at Edward's wide array of music. I'm not sure how long exactly I sit there, listening to Bella breathe. It's oddly comforting. It kind of mellows me out a bit. It's interesting that someone other than Alice also has a calming influence over me. Of course, when I'm not responsible for her, I suspect that influence will fade.

She mutters something about covered wagons and hardtack, and I shake my head with a smile.

***********************************************************

I beat my brother and sisters home by quite a few minutes. Esme's call has had me frantic for hours. Of all the dumb luck…

Correction: Of all _Bella's_ luck. Of course Peter and Charlotte pick the weekend I'm all the way down in California to visit Jasper. I called Esme a few times en route. Peter and Charlotte must think I'm certifiable. Between their last visit and this one, I certainly haven't given them many reasons to think otherwise.

"Peter. Charlotte." I greet them briefly as I fly through the living room where they're seated with Jasper, Esme and Carlisle. I need to check on Bella. I need to make sure she's all right, even though Alice already saw that she was. I need to never go away again.

I also need to stop being a complete lunatic.

"Edward, she's asleep!" Esme laughs from the living room.

Of course, she's asleep. It's 2 o'clock in the morning. Humans sleep at 2 o'clock in the morning. This is normal. It's also completely normal for Bella to stumble upon two non-vegetarian vampires when I'm a thousand miles away.

Typical.

"I'll be right back," I say, but the chuckling doesn't cease.

I'm completely silent as I enter my darkened bedroom. Her even breathing and steady heartbeat calm me more than Jasper's talent ever could.

As absolutely gently as I'm capable of being, I brush her hair away from her angelic face and press my lips to her forehead. She shifts a bit and I swear I see her lips quirk up a slightly. I think I really should get a bed in here for her. She's never slept here before. That's not true. She's napped here. She's just never slept over before. I'm always at her house. I don't have a curfew, or a father who will ground me…or who will shoot a boyfriend caught in his daughter's bedroom after said curfew.

My eyes roam over the parts of her not hidden by the mountain of blankets on top of her, which admittedly is not much. Esme must have turned the heat on in here for her. I frown as my eyes fall upon her hand. Her palm is scraped. She must have tripped. But I'm used to seeing her with the evidence of her mishaps. What's odd is her wrist looks a little bruised. I wonder what happened there.

Now that I am assured that she is, in fact, breathing just fine and her intoxicating blood is still, in fact, running freely through her veins, I rise up and with one more kiss on her forehead, I head back downstairs.

"What happened to her hand?" I ask announcing my return. The others have made it back and have joined the gathering in the living room.

"She fell, of course," Jasper says pointing to the front door. Emmett snickers.

"No, her wrist is bruised."

"_It is? That might be from when I grabbed her wrist then. She wanted to shake Peter and Charlotte's hand and I thought that was a bad idea, so I grabbed her hand before she could. I'm not used to handling Bella! She's so damn breakable!"_

I roll my eyes in response to Jasper's explanation.

I lean up against the stairway. I don't want to be rude to Jasper's guests, but I don't want to leave Bella by herself either. Of course, by keeping this post, Peter and Charlotte remain in my line of sight.

"_So sweet."_ Esme smiles at me. _"Jasper did very well with her tonight, you know. He even went up and talked with her until she fell asleep. I'm not sure he'll ever get over what happened on her birthday."_

I glance away from her towards my piano. I haven't played it since and I know that makes her sad. And I do know the genuine pain and endless guilt that night has caused Jasper. Bella hasn't changed her interaction with Jasper at all over that incident. It's almost as if it never happened. I am equally torn between admiring her for it and wanting to lock her away somewhere for not having learned yet how truly dangerous we are.

Not myself, at least not in that way. I could never consciously kill her, but just her being around me is a completely different story.

I tried to leave her after it happened. I tried to convince myself that it was for her own good; that it was in her best interests; that it was what she _needed_. Though I knew I couldn't live without her and that I would spend the rest of eternity wishing for one single minute with her, I couldn't continue to put her in this kind of danger.

I was a nanosecond away from telling her that I didn't love her anymore. I was prepared to do anything I needed to do in order to ensure her safety. And as I turned away from her, she dropped slowly to her knees and whispered so softly I wasn't sure if she either didn't have the strength to make herself heard or wasn't intending me to hear, _"I need you."_

It was my undoing.

Exposure to my world left her too vulnerable. There was still the issue of Victoria to be dealt with. I'm still not sure that she wouldn't go to the Volturi out of spite. I couldn't, _can't_, leave her unprotected.

It took me hours to calm her down that night on the forest floor, and weeks for her to get past the fear I'd caused her and let me out of her sight for any length of time. And I will never _ever_ get over, nor forgive myself, for the look of anguish, devastation and terror that _I_ put on her face.

"She's just wonderful, Edward," Charlotte says, drawing me out of my reverie and back to the conversation. It's not often that I'm taken by any sort of surprise in a conversation.

"Yes," I say simply.

"She's so animated and full of life!" Charlotte continues and I flinch at her use of the word 'life'. She didn't mean anything by it, I can tell that, but still it's a reminder of one of the many reasons why I can't bring myself to agree to change Bella.

"We just adore her," Carlisle says. "She's brought us all great joy."

"I admit though, the situation does beg the question…" Peter begins.

"No," I say fervently with a hiss in answer to his thought.

"I'm sorry, but for those of us that _can't_ hear what people are thinking," Emmett prompts waving his hand.

"He wants to know if we'll change her," I say darkly. "And the answer is 'no'."

Peter and Charlotte look surprised and look between Jasper and Carlisle for an explanation.

"I'm afraid you've stumbled upon a hot button issue in this house," Carlisle says with a smile. _"Calm down, son. They're just curious. Naturally, they'd want to know why on Earth you'd keep her human and keep torturing yourself, or so _they_ think."_

"I can imagine," Charlotte says, raising her eyebrows and looking back to me.

"It's a touchy subject," Rosalie 'whispers,' though there's not a being in the room that wouldn't hear her.

I frown a bit as I see that Rosalie is actually on my side on this issue. That's certainly not something that happens much…or possibly ever.

Wanting to be away from this conversation, and giving in to my usual obsessive need to be in Bella's presence, I excuse myself from the room and escape back upstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I just realized that I didn't put a disclaimer on the first two chapters. However, I trust you all to realize that since my name is not Stephanie Meyer, I do not own these characters. **_

_**It would be **_**wonderful**_** if you could take a second to review the story. Nothing gives me more motivation to write than knowing that people are A) reading it and B) what they think. I've got a beta, he shows me tough love, I can handle praise and criticism. Lay it on me!**_

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Rosalie slides out from underneath Carlisle's Mercedes as she hears me approach.

"Bella's still here then?" she asks arching an eyebrow at me. "She must be if you're down here with _me_."

It's an odd sort of ritual she and I have. Rosalie escapes here to the garage when Bella's around to keep the peace, and I come down here as part of my giving Bella a wide berth.

"It's not like I don't _want_ to be around her," I reply. "I like Bella very much."

"It's ridiculous," she scoffs standing up and moving to her tool bench. "Even Peter and Charlotte are falling all over her."

"You know, you might like her if you'd bother to get to know her."

"Doubtful." She grabs what she needs, heads back to the car and leans over the engine. "I can't see the appeal."

I cock my head to the side and look at her curiously. "I would think that you, of all people, _would_ see it instantly. I would think it would be obvious to you."

She straightens up and looks at me expectantly. I look at her back. "Are you going to clue me in?" she demands.

"Why don't you tell me first what it is that you _don't_ like, Rosalie?"

"I don't need a therapist."

"I'm just curious." I lean up against Emmett's Jeep and cross my arms while I watch her tinker with the car.

"It's just…everyone's making _idiots_ of themselves. Edward aside, Alice is always wanting to dress her up like some kind of doll, Emmett makes it his mission in life to see how many times he can make her blush in one conversation, Carlisle and Esme treat her like royalty, cooking for her, making sure the heat is on when it's cold, even you're around her as much as you can possibly be."

"Rosalie!" I laugh indulgently. "It's right there in your answer. Has it occurred to you that the reason why everyone likes to be around her is it gives them some semblance of _humanity_? She's funny, she's smart, she's caring, she's kind, and she's _human_. She needs to eat, she needs to sleep, she gets hurt. She needs to be taken care of. Edward can't sleep, yet he goes through that routine with her nearly every night. Esme cooks for her even though she doesn't eat. All these human routines that we've long since forgotten about have come back to us, with her."

I can see that I've given her something to think about that she hadn't considered. She looks reluctant even though it's clearly piqued her interest. Just as she's turning back to the car, a wolf howls in the distance and she straightens up immediately.

"What is it?" I ask, instantly on alert.

"Did you hear that?" she whispers harshly.

"What?" There's another howl and her eyes widen. "The wolf's howl?"

"No, it's not…it's impossible, it can't be…but it sounds just like it."

"It sounds like a wolf," I say.

"No, not just a wolf." She looks alarmed as she goes tearing towards the house calling Carlisle's name.

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"Ow."

"Honestly Bella, stop being such a baby," Alice says as I appear in her bathroom doorway and stifle a chuckle at the picture before me. Alice has Bella's hair in curlers, cotton between her painted toes and her chin in her hand as she tries to apply something or other to Bella's already perfect face.

"Help!" Bella squeaks when she sees me.

"Alice, what on Earth are you doing to her?" I cross my arms and lean up against the doorway. Bella looks annoyed that I haven't pulled Alice off of her yet.

"Rosalie, Esme and I…well, our skin doesn't change. Bella's does all sorts of stuff. It's fun to see how it looks with different colors and styles."

"But have you considered whether or not it's fun for _her_?"

Alice rounds on me with a glare. "We're. Bonding. Edward," she says evenly. _"For crying out loud, it's not like Rosalie is the picture of a warm girlfriend and Esme means well, but…"_

I nod in understanding and motion her away from poor Bella all the same. "I need to talk to Bella and Carlisle needs to talk to you." _"What's going on?"_ I won't answer her in front of Bella though. Eventually, Bella will probably pull it out of someone, but I plan on drawing that out as long as possible.

Alice turns to Bella and points a stern finger at her. "Don't undo anything while I'm gone."

She prances out of her enormous bathroom and I smile down at Bella who looks up at me pleadingly. "Please help me get this crap out of my hair."

"I heard that!" Alice shouts from downstairs and Bella sighs. I brush her hand away and I have the rollers out for her in seconds. It leaves long, loose curls down her back and I can't help running my fingers through them. She closes her eyes and sighs.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" she finally asks.

I chicken out.

"I was just trying to save you." I shrug.

She looks at me long and hard. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Is it Peter and Charlotte?"

"No. Although, it looks like they'll be staying a little bit longer than planned."

"Oh. Why?"

I shrug again. "It's not like they have anywhere to be. They're nomads."

"And so now you're worried about me."

"Bella, I'm _always_ worried about you." I laugh and run my finger down her cheek.

"You'll tell me sooner or later," she shrugs with a yawn and I frown.

"You're tired? Do you want to lie down?"

"No. I'm going to have to get home soon." She says, pulling the cotton out from between her toes and wiggling them a bit. "Charlie's got some kind of convention in Las Vegas. He's going to be gone a few days, so I wanted to see him before he goes."

"He's leaving?" I'm instantly on alert. One of the things I always take comfort in is the presence of Charlie and his firearms in the house.

"Tomorrow morning," she nods. "I didn't tell you this?" That you were going to be in your house alone and unprotected for days with two non-vegetarian vampires and a werewolf afoot? No, my love, I think I would have remembered that.

"No."

"Oh, well, yeah. He'll be back on Friday."

"And he's definitely leaving in the morning?"

"Yes," she says. "It sounds like you're not staying tonight."

"I can't," I murmur. "But I'll see you in the morning." I was torn. I needed to run the treaty line with the others to investigate Rosalie's discovery, but I don't like the thought of leaving Bella alone. I could probably send Esme to keep watch. If the wolves were back, I needed to know right away. Bella's family was friendly with the Blacks. Ephraim Black is Jacob's grandfather and Bella and her father frequently visited with Billy, Jacob's father, and Jacob. Jacob turning into a werewolf would be problematic for everyone.

She nodded and of course tried not to show her disappointment, but wasn't very successful. She understands that I can't spend every night with her as I'd want, but when I need to hunt, I prefer to do it when she's sleeping so I can be with her when she's awake. There are so many things I had to get used to with her, human things.

Tears, for instance. Alice, Esme and Rosalie, when they get upset, they don't cry. They _can't_ cry. If Bella is upset enough, she will cry and that instills a gut-wrenching feeling in me. Even if she's just crying over a movie or book, I feel the same way.

She's certainly not upset enough to cry now, thank God, but she is disappointed. I would leave it to the others if she asked me to stay with her. She has yet to fully understand the power her 'please' has over me. I would do anything for her at anytime, she has only to ask.


	4. Chapter 4

"Edward!" Alice calls to me as soon as Jasper, Peter, Carlisle, Emmett and I return to the house in the early hours of the morning. "You have to go to Bella now." She's anxious as she runs down the stairs to me.

"What happened?" I immediately demand.

"She's sick; or she will be sick," Alice explains. "Carlisle will determine it's the flu, but she's going to wake up with a high fever and Charlie's already gone. She's going to be disoriented and want you, but instead of calling, she's going to want to come find you. She won't trust herself to drive and so she'll decide to walk, she'll think of taking the path, but she'll get lost."

There's a well worn path through the woods from here to Bella's house, only it wouldn't take Bella mere minutes to travel it like it does for me.

I take off like a rocket and I'm scaling the side of her house in no time. It's possible I ran faster than I ever have before.

I know modern medicine is head and shoulders above what it was in 1918, but my parents died of the flu. I was supposed to die of the flu. Can you blame me for being more than a little anxious right now?

She is not in her bed. I force myself to stop for a moment and catch her scent. I follow it to the backyard where she's standing and looking highly confused.

"Bella!" I say sweeping her up into my arms and moving immediately back to the house.

"I found you," she murmured, leaning her head against my shoulder. It feels like fire to me.

"Alice saw you," I say gently. "How do you feel, love?"

"Like death."

"Don't be absurd," I force myself to chuckle. I hope she _never_ feels the way that I did. I can't even stomach the thought.

"You feel so good," I know what she means, but I am still a man and my mind goes places it should not...should never.

"I bet," I reply. "Let's get you back into bed, shall we?" As I gently carry her back upstairs and settle her in bed, I pull out my phone and call Carlisle.

"I'm pulling in her driveway now," he answers. "Come down and let me in."

Less than a minute later, Carlisle is sitting on Bella's bed examining her. She's barely conscious of it as I pace the length of her room.

"_Calm down, Edward. I know you're nervous, but it's not the same situation. Everything's different now."_

"I can't help it," I say softly.

"_It's the start of flu season; it's going around."_

"I thought you were going to bring her home a flu shot."

"_She didn't want it; you know how she is about needles."_

"You should have stuck her with it when she was sleeping."

He gives me a frustrated look. _"I can't believe you would suggest a thing."_

"Can't you?" I retort. Yes, I realize I'm being petulant. I'm being every bit the 17 year old I'm frozen in time as. I don't like feeling helpless to give her what she needs. I don't like when she's injured. This is the first time she's been sick since we've met. I was a fool not to consider that she would eventually get sick at some point. These things happen to humans, Bella especially. I'm surprised she isn't laying there with the plague, or polio, or scarlet fever. That would be right up her alley.

"Edward, stop thinking awful things," Carlisle says reading the thermometer with a frown. He knows me so well.

"What is it? How bad?"

"103."

"That's high," I say unnecessarily.

"I'm not concerned yet," He replies.

"I want to take her home; can we take her home?"

"_You make her sound like a puppy."_ He chuckles and I scowl at him. _"You know Emmett would be able to think of a few jokes right now."_

"Carlisle!" I say as loud as I can without risking waking Bella. How can he be so blasé right now? Can't he see how serious this is? Can't he see my head is going to fall off right now?

"Edward, you have two medical degrees. I know this situation might be emotional for you, and you _know_ the flu is miserable, but she'll be just fine. Alice even saw it."

"Can we take her home with us or not? Charlie won't be home for days."

"Yes," Carlisle sighs. _"If for no other reason than to keep you in Jasper's presence so he can keep you from going through the roof."_ "I'll go warm up my car. Call Alice to come and pack her a bag for the duration of Charlie's absence. Once we get her settled, I'll go over to the hospital and get her some anti-viral medication."

"I thought those didn't work."

"They can if they're given early enough."

Bella whimpers as I'm dialing and I quickly pull her into my arms. I can call Alice from the car.

*************************************************************

Werewolves. 'Meat' eating vampires. And a Human with the flu.

Welcome to the House of Insanity.

"Edward, for the love of Christ, will you stop pacing," Emmett orders.

Edward, of course, doesn't comply, but I release a calm wave over him anyway. No need for us all to suffer.

"I don't _want_ to calm down, Jasper," he hisses.

"Too late," I reply.

Carlisle's upstairs with Bella, checking her over and giving her a shot. He kicked Edward out of the room. He came down here to pace and we're all watching him.

"He certainly is…nervous," Charlotte notes, watching Edward like a tennis match.

"Anxious is Edward's preferred word," Rosalie jumps in flipping through a fashion magazine.

"Edward, I told you she would be fine," Alice says.

"Well, she's not yet," He says. It probably would have been nastier, if not for my interference. She looks at him sympathetically. Though I know exactly what he feels, I can't empathize with it. I have no idea what it's like to have someone so fragile as the center of my world. Alice doesn't get sick, Alice doesn't get hurt and Alice certainly doesn't get taken by surprise. I guess I'm a little spoiled in the love department.

Bella appears at the top of the stairs on Carlisle's arm. She's in flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers and doesn't look any better than she did earlier. This is an odd feeling for me to experience, this feeling of misery and apathy from illness. I don't know that I can perk her up from this.

Edward streaks up to her side. "Bella, what are you doing? You should be resting." He tosses an accusing glare at Carlisle, but even Edward's not brave enough to second guess a patient decision of Carlisle's, two medical degrees or not.

"I don't want to be up there by myself," she whines.

"Love, I'll stay up there with you, you know that. You won't be by yourself," he says.

"I want to be down here," she insists.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," he says with a little wince. I can feel he's caving though. That will probably put an end to the werewolf discussion. Edward's trying to figure out how to delicately tell Bella her friend probably wants to kill all of us.

"What am I going to do, _give_ it to someone?" she snaps in return. Peter, Rosalie and Emmett all snicker. "I'm not exactly contagious to anyone here."

I also have to say she doesn't smell as appealing as she normally does either.

He sighs heavily, minor defeat falling over him. He reaches over and sweeps her up into his arms. Emmett gives up his seat on the couch so Edward can sit down with Bella. And for once, Rosalie doesn't look completely annoyed. She even has a little moment with Bella, arching an eyebrow and pointing to her slippers; Bella points over at Alice and Rosalie rolls her eyes. The moment isn't lost on myself or Edward. Rosalie doesn't usually acknowledge Bella, so that was a big step.

Esme brings a blanket which she and Edward wrap around her so she's protected from his ice cold skin. As soon as she's settled down, she starts coughing and Edward looks more anxious. Now Alice moves over to them and kneels down, pressing her hand across Bella's cheek.

"Maybe I should run out and get her something for the cough," Alice suggests. She's now feeding off of Edward's anxiousness. Between she, Esme and Edward, not to mention monitoring Peter and Charlotte, I'm certainly going to be busy.

"She just had some," Carlisle said shaking his head as Bella coughs again.

"Yeah, but maybe she needs more," Alice replies.

"It just needs a little while to run through her system," Carlisle replies amused.

"Edward…" Emmett begins.

"No, Emmett," Edward hisses.

"It's what she wants and neither of you will have to go through this kind of anxiety again."

"Well, she doesn't always get what she wants," Edward snaps. We all know that's not true, including Edward.

"Ooh, but she does," Emmett chuckles. Edward growls at him.

"Be nice," Bella chastises Edward. "He has a point."

"No," Edward is firm that Bella not be turned into one of us, however, Alice has seen that she will be and that vision has never faltered since they met, which begs the question, _how_ then will it happen? Who will be the one to do it? And perhaps of most interest to me, why?

"Don't you start, too," Edward glares over at me.

"Edward doesn't love me enough to keep me around for eternity," Bella says curling down further into Edward's embrace.

Edward rolls his eyes. "Carlisle, the fever is making Bella delirious." Bella scowls and lets loose with another coughing fit.

"Well, I know _something_ that we can do," Alice says standing up. "Come Esme. I'm sure you'll want to help."

Esme smiles and disappears out the front door with Alice. Bella sits up and looks at Edward. "What is that all about?"

"It's a surprise," he smiles gently. He kisses her forehead and gently guides her back down to his shoulder.

"If I were feeling better, you know I'd disapprove," she whines.

"Yes, love, I do. But at the moment, I am going to take shameless advantage of the opportunity while I can."

She mutters something about throwing them out of balance that I'm not sure I understand the meaning of, but Edward doesn't seem to take much notice of it, as he strokes her hair and gently kisses her forehead until she eventually falls back asleep.

"How soundly does she sleep?" Emmett asks. He's anxious to return to the earlier conversation about what we're going to do about the reemergence of the wolf pack, with special emphasis on Charlie and Bella's proximity to said pack.

"Not soundly enough," Edward answers.

"You have to tell her eventually," I reply.

"I want more information before I do," he replies. "She's not going to be happy with the new ground rules."

"No, I don't imagine she will be," I murmur.

"As I said, she doesn't always get what she wants," Edward counters.

But see the thing about Bella though, is that she _does_.


	5. Chapter 5

I want to die.

My entire body is both freezing and on fire at the same time. Poor Edward doesn't know whether to move close or stay far away.

Esme seems to have gone on line and bought everything listed as treatment and care for a flu patient. I've got juice, water, Tylenol, Motrin, soup, bland food, cold packs. And now, as I open my eyes in Edward's room, there's a stack of new DVD's and books for entertainment.

Wait.

I am in Edward's room, right? I thought I was, but it almost feels like…like I'm on a bed. I must be in Carlisle and Esme's room. Edward doesn't have a bed.

I reluctantly pry my eyes open and I'm immediately staring into anxious golden eyes.

"How do you feel? Are you feeling better?"

"No. I wish I were dead."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll never let that happen."

"It will one day, you know."

"Will you answer my question, please?"

"No. I want to talk about this," I say determinedly. "It's the only way that makes any sense, Edward. We don't have a choice anymore. We've decided not to be apart, which means it's too dangerous for me and everyone else to stay human. I don't want to live my life in fear."

"I've told you a hundred times, you have nothing to fear, love," he says, running his hand gently down my cheek. "I have and will always protect you."

"And when I'm with someone else and get hit by a bus and you don't make it to me in time? What then? It could happen, you know. This is me we're talking about here. If I stay human, I'll age and I'll have to be part of the world."

"I told you, I will follow you as soon as I'm able."

"Rather than live together for eternity."

"I'm not _alive_, Bella," he counters. "My heart doesn't beat."

"But your brain works and you're not dead either."

"No, I'm just kind of stuck here." His eyes are tense and his face is hardening. He's getting annoyed with the conversation, just like he always does.

"I could force your hand," I say thoughtfully after a moment.

"You would _never_ do that to me," he insists. "And you would never do that to one of the others. You love us too much." Damn, he saw right through my bluff. "Not to mention you hate pain. Which, by the way, is _all_ the transformation is. There are too many human things you would miss. Too many things you're entitled to."

"And there are too many things I'll miss staying human," I whisper.

"For instance?"

"_You_ Edward!" He sighs and rolls onto his back in frustration. I perch myself above him. "Edward, there are so many more experiences we could have together."

"And so many less you would have."

"If I can't have those human experiences with you, then I don't want them," I insist. "I've been exposed to your world and even if I were to never see you again, I would still be in danger because of that." He winces a bit and I know I'm fighting dirty. This is what I said to him to get him to stay and not leave me in September. "I know you say I have nothing to fear with you around, but fear is a basic human emotion and as long as I'm human I can't not feel it, Edward."

"Bella, being scared is the worst reason to become a vampire."

"I don't want to become one because I'm scared; I want to become one because I want to be with _you_. Totally with you in every way we can be."

"But that's not as important to me."

"It's important to _me,_" I insist, sounding as desperate as I possibly can, which isn't that hard considering I feel horrible right now and I am actually pretty desperate. I take a deep breath before I continue. "The only thing I want for my life is you. You tell me that if there were any way you could turn human again for me you would do it, how could you think _I_ would do any less for you? There is no way for you to become human again; if there was, Rosalie would have found it by now. But there _is_ a way for us to stay together and maybe it's not the most glamorous way or the most painless way, but it's the _only_ way."

"Bella…" There's pain and conflict in his eyes. What he wants is currently waging a battle inside of him against what he thinks I need.

"Carlisle can do it if you're afraid, but after the ballet studio, I know you can do it," I say earnestly. "Please."

He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Bella, you don't know what you're asking. You don't know about newborn vampires; you don't know what they're like. If I changed you right this minute, you wouldn't be fit to be around humans for years. You'll want to kill Charlie; you'll want to kill Renee; you'll want to kill Angela."

"You won't let me."

"You're right. And to ensure that, you would have to be removed from temptation's way. You're just going to go missing? Let Charlie and Renee wonder forever what happened to you? You'll deny them any closure? It's the middle of the school year, Bella, you can't just go missing."

Damn, it's hard to argue with that.

"Give me until graduation," he barters. I don't believe it. Is he actually saying yes?

"You're going to use the seven months between now and then to figure out a way out of it."

"I'm going to use the seven months to make sure you're as informed as you can be. There's so much you still don't know," he says quietly, gently pushing my hair back from my face before rolling us back over. "There's so much that might change your mind."

"And if there's not? If graduation comes and I'm still decided, you'll change me?"

"Carlisle will change you."

"I want you."

He gives me his crooked smile and my breath catches. My heartbeat speeds up, always giving me away. Damn traitorous body.

"_That_ comes with strings attached."

"Strings? What do you mean strings? What kind of strings?" He might actually do it himself? He must be playing with me again.

"Another time, love," he says. And because he's truly cheating right now, he leans down and presses a gentle kiss against my throat. The pulse in my neck throbs and I close my eyes. "For now, I want you to calm down and relax."

Well, if he wants to change the subject…

"Yes, I will relax," I say. "I'll relax in this nice, comfy _bed_."

"Do you like it?" he smiles.

"How did it get here?"

"Esme and Alice went to get it and they put it together while you were sleeping. I just brought you up here about an hour ago." He looks very proud of himself. He's always proud of himself when he can get one by me and give me something expensive and over the top.

"Why?"

"For you."

"I had the couch," I say gesturing over to where said couch is now repositioned on the opposite wall.

"Isabella," He whispers and drops his lips to my collarbone, then he gently runs his hand down the side of my body and I stifle a groan. "I think the bed has more perks."

"Yes, perks," I agree and press my lips to his. Though with his iron restraint, I can't imagine what perks he thinks we'll be discovering. As predicted, he pulls away.

"You're sick, love."

I sigh deeply. "Wouldn't matter if I wasn't," I mutter and he chuckles as there's a knock on the door and Rosalie asks for permission to enter. I raise my eyebrows at Edward as he grants her entrance.

She walks into the bedroom carrying my backpack. I assume Alice went back to school today then. Edward would never leave me alone with Peter and Charlotte here. The last time they were here was before I was speaking to him and Alice told me he raised the bar on the definition of the word "stalker".

She swings my backpack onto the bed and I pull it towards me. Then she surveys the bed. "This came out nice."

"Yes," Edward agrees, resting back on an elbow. I unzip my bag and begin to root through it, looking for my assignments. At least I don't have to worry about falling behind. I've got Edward for a tutor and he knows _everything_.

"Do you like it, Bella?" she asks me.

"It's unnecessary," I shrug and Edward chuckles.

"It's big," she notes and Edward gives her a hard look. I'm not sure what that's about. I find my essay and gasp when I read Mr. Monahan's note to me.

"What?" Edward frowns.

"Sources!" I shriek. "He wants sources!" Edward chuckles. "How am I supposed to cite a 180 year old vampire?"

"Give it to me," Rosalie directs holding out her hand. "I'll take care of it. I'll bring your assignments back tomorrow for you and talk to Mr. Monahan."

Edward and I look at her in surprise. Edward also looks pretty wary. I'm still in shock that she's even in here talking to me. Rosalie is not my biggest fan. In fact, she makes herself scarce whenever I'm here. When Edward and I met, he swore she'd come around. Maybe she actually is.

I hand it to her. "What are you going to do?" Edward asks suspiciously.

"I'm going to talk to Mr. Monahan," she replies simply.

"And say?"

"I don't know," she shrugs. "But I'll think of something." She looks at Edward and he looks at her for a long moment before nodding his consent. Rosalie throws a smirk at him and saunters out of the room.

"What was that all about?" I ask him.

"She wants us to trust her."

"And do you?"

"I always trust her."

"I mean with _my_ American History grade."

"Apparently, she has a plan," he shrugs. I begin to dig through my bag again, but he pulls it out of my reach. "You can do that later. You never told me how you feel."

"I feel like death warmed over," I frown at him.

"Isabella, that's not funny."

"It is to me," I shrug. "And to answer your question, the only improvement I feel is the fact that I haven't coughed since I've been awake. I don't know what Carlisle gave me for that, but it seems to be working magnificently."

"Carlisle!" Edward calls barely louder than his normal volume of speaking. Carlisle instantly appears through the door, medical bag in hand. As much as I dislike the attention, I have to say, the service around here is amazing. A human never has to wait for anything.

"Well, Bella," he smiles. "You slept for quite a while. How do you feel?"

"Not much better," I confess. Edward's look of worry reappears. Carlisle sticks a thermometer in my ear. He pulls it away and studies it.

"Your fever is down slightly; that's a good sign. I don't expect you to truly feel better for a few more days though. I've called Charlie and told him what's going on. He was going to fly back, but I assured him that while I'm working, Esme is taking wonderful care of you." Carlisle tosses a look over to Edward. If I didn't know better, it was the fatherly 'You really should be in school' look. "Since you have your very own doctor, he's decided not to fly back early."

I sigh and drop back against the numerous pillows against the massive headboard. Edward instantly tucks me in and I can't help but pout a little until he kisses my forehead. Yes, I know I'm using what feminine wiles that I can actually get to work on him for my own selfish needs. For the moment, I don't feel guilty about it.

"Well Bella, you're in good hands. I'll be in my office if you need me. In the meantime, more fluids. Esme is downstairs making you more soup and you have two hours before your next dose."

I wrap my arms around Edward's waist and curl myself down into him. I had a victory today. Whether Edward wants to spend the next seven months trying to talk me out of it or not, forever starts after graduation.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Usually, I don't put who's POV the chapter is because I think you can tell in the first few lines, but that might just be in my head. So, I'll add them (or I'll try to remember to add them).**_

_**Thank you for the reviews! I will respond to each one. It's my rule, if you take the time to write to me, I will write back.**_

_**As always, thanks oodles to my beta.**_

*****************************************************

EPOV

"This is a bad idea," I say again. Bella rolls her eyes.

"Carlisle said the fresh air would do me good, and I haven't had a fever in 24 hours," she insists and clutches her arms tighter around me. She hates running through the woods, but she wanted to go to the meadow and there isn't any other way to get there. Well, she could hike it, but it takes her forever and I don't think she should be exerting that kind of energy right now.

The pack situation is still unresolved, as is our reaction to it, but we're on treatied land right now, so if the new wolves have been properly informed, we should be fine.

Charlie is returning from his convention in the morning and so Bella will need to be taken home. This causes me no small amount of anxiety. Charlie and Billy Black consider themselves family. He'd never believe that any of the Quileutes would pose any danger or risk to either Bella or myself. I'm not sure they intentionally pose any threat to her, but she's already been warned once.

She hops off my back when we reach the meadow and takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, turning her face to where the sun _would_ be if the clouds weren't blocking it. I'm disappointed now that it's cloudy, which I rarely am, because I know how much she misses the sun and warmth. She doesn't miss it enough to move to Jacksonville with her mother, but still.

She crawls down into the grass and stretches out. She's almost catlike…or she would be if she wasn't so bundled up against the cold. I balance myself above her on my hands and knees and her fuzzy mittened hand reaches up and ruffles my hair. I laugh, but it's cut off by the threatening voice in my head.

"_There they are. She said I could find them here."_

"What is it?" Bella asks immediately noting my tension. I pull her up and toss her behind me, just as Laurent enters the clearing.

"Hello!" he greets smiling. He walks forward, physically presenting himself in a friendly way, but his thoughts are revealing him as otherwise.

"_At least without the others, it's a fair fight. I wouldn't have expected her to be alone."_

Would Tanya and her family have told him that I could hear his thoughts?

"What's going on?" Bella asks me anxiously when she hears the low rumbling growl come through my lips.

"It's not a social call," I say softly, but Laurent hears me, of course, and pauses in his approach.

"_Was he warned, I wonder? No. How could he be? Victoria is the only one who knew I was coming down here. I knew I shouldn't have come through Forks. I wish I'd never met her and James."_

"I was paying a social call to your family, as I was passing through. I'm glad to see that you are well -- Bella, was it?"

"We both know that's a lie," I say evenly. "I'm sorry, Laurent, but it seems Victoria has betrayed you. It was a suicide mission."

"_Well, enough of the pretenses then. I think I'll enjoy killing this human. She does smell very appealing. I still don't understand their fascination with her though."_

"You'll never get that close to her," I assure and his eyes widen. "If James couldn't succeed, what makes you think you can?"

He drops into a crouch and hisses at me, but in the millisecond where I would counter, his eyes widen in horror. I heard the animals approaching behind me.

"_I don't believe it. Who's that bloodsucker?"_

"_Remember, we have no fight with Cullen."_

"_Oh, _we_ don't?"_

"_No, Jacob. Cullen is protected by the treaty; stick with the newcomer. He intends to harm Bella Swan." _

"_Well, he picked the wrong day to try that." _

I turn quickly to the three wolves running full bore right for us, snarling viciously. Their smell hasn't gotten any better over the years. A horrified look covers Bella's delicate face and I throw myself on top of her, cradling her in my arms and protecting her from harm as my body slams into the Earth. Her heart is racing.

Laurent makes a run for the woods and barely makes the tree line before they've got him. I don't believe Bella can hear the ripping and tearing, but I'm not going to stick around with her and find out. Before she can process what she's just witnessed, I spring up, throw her on my back and take off running for her house.

She clutches me as tight as she can. I want so much to know what she's thinking right at this moment. Just how scared is she? Mere minutes later, I'm scaling the side of her house. As soon as my feet touch her bedroom floor, she collapses onto the bed; coughing and curling up into a ball. I lower myself to my knees in front of her and watch helplessly as she tries to pull herself together.

She has no idea what it is that she just witnessed. No comprehension at all. She is completely oblivious to the epic mythical battle that is being primed to take place in what may be the very near future.

I need to tell my family what happened, though I'm sure Alice would have seen it. I need to tell them what I heard when the wolves came; what they looked like, bigger than they were before.

I need to stop seeing red right now. The urge to hunt down Victoria this very minute is starting to consume me. I need her dead. She can no longer be permitted to be the unknown threat out there, the mortal X factor in the peace of my Bella's life. I will not allow her to hang over our heads like a guillotine waiting to fall.

I need so many things right now. But the most important thing right now is that I need to know what _Bella_ needs. Bella, the only person in the world that means anything. The only object in the universe that can keep me from becoming a killer today; who can keep me from not making some innocent creature suffer and die in Victoria's place to quench the true monster within me.

She seems to have the coughing fit under control now and she props herself up on her hands. My hand very slowly reaches out and brushes her hair away from her porcelain face. I'm sure she can read the anguish in my eyes. I've never been able to hide anything from her.

"My head is going to explode if I don't find out what you are thinking soon," I say softly.

"What _were_ they?" she demands.

"Well, the closest thing to compare them to would be werewolves," I begin. Her eyes widen and her heartbeat speeds up. "But not the mythical kinds you've read about. Oddly myth got _real_ werewolves right; far more so than vampires. But these wolves are a breed apart."

"Well, of course not. I mean, everything I knew about vampires has turned out to be false."

I smirk at her false bravado. She's trying to be calm, but she's trembling. I can smell the adrenalin coursing through her veins with her sweet blood.

"_This_ species of werewolf," I continue, "phases from their human form, as far as we can tell, when there are vampires in the area. We don't know too much about them, only what we learned the last time we were here, and they weren't sharing anything with us then either."

"The Quileutes?" she gasps and I nod. She looks off over my shoulder and her eyes fix on something on her wall. I can't tell what she's thinking. I know she's calming down, that much I can sense. I can imagine she's thinking of her friend and just how much he knows. However, I know that one of those dogs was Jacob.

"Bella," I say softly and she looks back to me. "There is a lot I need to tell you still. The wolves have been gone for a very long time, but now they're back. It changes things."

"What do you mean?"

"They're our sworn enemy, Bella. And I don't know if I should tell you…" God, do I tell her about Jacob or leave it to him? But now that I _know_ he's joined the pack, I can't allow him near her. Except, how am I supposed to manage that when his father is Charlie's best friend?

She meets my eyes again earnestly. "You have to tell me." She grabs hold of my shoulders to make her point. "Everything. Edward, the Blacks are like family, you _have_ to tell me; I need to know."

I never take my eyes off of hers as I say, "Jacob Black was one of the wolves in the meadow. I don't know which one, but I heard the pack's thoughts. The leader, Sam Uley, specifically addressed him."

"Jacob?" she whispered. She put her hand over her mouth in astonishment.

My silent heart just breaks for her. How much is she expected to endure? When does the fear and terror end for her?

"Bella, I don't know how to convey to you how serious it is now. One wrong move will start a war. You _can't_ see Jacob anymore."

"He's my friend, Edward," she says.

"Given a reason, he'll try to kill any one of us."

"I _don't_ believe that," she insists.

"It's in his genetic makeup, Bella," I insist. "He's not the Jacob you know. Seeing him is out of the question."

"I can't accept that, Edward," she says. "How could I even explain that to Charlie? What possible reason could I give?"

Since I've met her, anxiety has been my constant companion. She has never taken her safety into consideration, never thought of herself. As I look at her now, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination, her sweet breath washing over me, her scent surrounding me like a cocoon, I know without a doubt in my mind that I _will not_ tolerate anything that will jeopardize her safety and wellbeing, including this.

"I'm not asking, Bella."

*******************************************************************

BPOV

"Are you expecting anyone, Bells?" my father asks rising up out of his chair and walking to the living room window.

"No," I huff and burrow more under my blanket. No, I'm definitely _not_ expecting anyone, though I'm sure there's someone hovering out there anyway. I'm certainly _not_ expecting a presumptuous vampire boyfriend who thinks he can just dictate who I can and cannot talk to without presenting any sort of evidence. No, definitely not expecting him.

He's gone hunting anyway. Probably because I ticked him off so bad.

The fight that followed his little edict was definitely not one of our top ten best moments. In fact, there were times when it got downright childish. How am I supposed to tell Charlie I can't speak to his lifelong friends and not provide a good reason? Even if I _were_ to say that Jacob _might_ be dangerous to me, Charlie would just laugh it off. He's the chief of police for crying out loud!

"Oh, it's Billy and Jacob." Charlie says moving to the door.

Crap! What am I supposed to do? I cough, roll on my side and feign sleep. This is never going to work.

"Well, this is a nice surprise!" Charlie smiles opening the door.

Jacob enters pushing Billy. His eyes scan the living room and find me immediately. "Bella! Aw, Bells, you can't fall asleep now." I grumble, cough and roll to my side. Maybe if I pretend to be on death's door it will make this impromptu visit shorter.

Except I highly doubt that.

I wonder what my current protector outside thinks of this visit. I'm thinking it must be Esme if they weren't immediately at my front door. I don't think Esme would be able to get away with an impromptu visit coincidentally at the same time as Jacob. I think she'd keep her distance and listen for anything that she feels she'd need to intervene on.

Unless she's just decided to call Edward.

In which case my afternoon is about to get a lot worse.

"I brought fish fry!" Billy smiles triumphantly.

"Outstanding!" Charlie claps his hands together.

"Let's cook it up!" Billy says and Charlie wheels him to the kitchen.

Jacob's by my side in a heartbeat. "Bella," he says earnestly.

I curl my knees to my chest and dip my head. I wasn't expecting to see him so soon. I'm not prepared. Now I wish Edward _was_ here.

"Aw, Bella, don't be like that. I want to explain."

I look at him as unexpected anger is sparked inside me. "Are you a werewolf?" I demand.

"Um, well…"

"Do you want to kill my boyfriend and his family?"

Jacob is silent.

"There's nothing to explain," I hiss.

"Bella…"

"Did you kill Laurent?" I demand.

"He wanted to hurt you!"

"I understand that. Did you kill him?"

"Yes, we did."

I close my eyes against the image of the three monstrous wolves jumping over Edward and me in the meadow. I pull my blanket over my shoulder and burrow some more into the couch. Billy's loud voice floating in from the kitchen in an obvious attempt to keep Charlie distracted.

"Bella, you have to break up with Cullen," Jacob suddenly insists. "You can't see him or anyone in his family anymore."

"Oh God, not _this_ again!" I huff. I throw the blanket off of me and stand up off the couch. "I think the men in my life really need to stop ordering me around. I'm perfectly capable of deciding all on my own who I choose to spend my time with!"

It's suddenly very warm in here. Between the bulky sweater I'm wearing, the warmth of the fireplace and this odd heat that seems to be radiating off of Jacob, I'm feeling very flushed. I think I need some fresh air.

I storm to the front door, throw it open and walk outside onto the front steps. Jacob, of course, is right behind me.

"Bella, he's too dangerous," Jacob insists.

"Not to me, he's not," I reply. "And he's said the same thing about you."

"I would _never_ hurt you."

I scoff loudly. Edward says the same thing.

"Do you have any idea what's going to happen when the novelty wears off?"

"The novelty!" I exclaim and turn on him in fury. "What novelty?"

"The novelty of having a human for a pet," Jacob replies. "Sooner or later, it'll wear off and one of them will kill you."

"You have _no_ idea what you're talking about," I seethed. "You don't know them."

"Do you?"

"YES!"

"Bella," he sighs. "Just listen to me for a minute. There are others who could make you happy."

"No, there are others that _think_ they can make me happy, Jacob." I counter. According to Edward, there's apparently quite a list.

"_I_ could make you happy; I could protect you." He insists.

"Aw, not you too, Jake!" I whine in dismay. I don't know where this fascination comes from. Do I look easy or something?

"Listen, just…oh hell." He says. Before I have any idea what he's doing, or can even react, he grabs me by the back of my neck and presses his lips to mine. I'm quite stunned and try to push him away. He's very strong.

At first, I thought maybe I didn't know my own strength because Jacob went hurtling backwards.

But then I realize it's because Edward's there.


	7. Chapter 7

_**I keep forgetting the disclaimer. These characters aren't mine. **_

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BPOV

Edward's fist connects with Jacob's jaw with a loud crunch.

"Oh!" I shout and cover my mouth in astonishment.

Jasper and Emmett flank Edward's sides menacingly. Jacob brings himself upright to his full height. He's taller than Edward, but not Emmett. Jacob's mouth and nose are bleeding.

"Oh my God, Jake, are you okay?" I ask, taking a step toward him. This is probably a very lethal place to be right now, standing right center of four growling and hissing men.

"I'm fine," Jake glares at the three Cullens. He starts to tremble. At first I thought he was scared, but it looks like he's livid.

"Jasper, take Bella upstairs, please," Edward's voice is smooth as silk, but his tone fairly terrifying.

"No," I insist. I might be the only thing that can save Jake's life and stop an all out war.

I might as well not have said anything at all, for Jasper takes me in one arm and quickly reenters the house.

"What's going on?" Charlie asks reemerging from the kitchen. Billy is following behind him looking furious. "Oh, um, Jasper, is it?"

"Yes, sir," Jasper is dripping politeness…and radiating tension. "Bella was sitting out on the front stoop with her friend when we arrived. She got dizzy, so I'm helping her upstairs."

"You okay, Bells?" Charlie asks suspiciously.

"Fine," I whisper and Jasper sweeps me up to my room. He deposits me on my bed and moves to open my window. I see him staring still and silent as a rock down at the front steps. I feel myself calming down, and I'm sure that everyone on the front steps is, as well.

I can hear Edward and Jacob arguing, but they're speaking too softly for me to make out the words.

"What's going on down there?" I demand of Jasper.

"A discussion," he answers, not removing his eyes from his brothers.

"You couldn't all have been out in the woods."

"We weren't," he finally looks at me. "Alice saw your future disappear."

"What?" I ask confused.

"She said that one minute you were resting in your living room and the next you were completely gone. There was no trace of you. Esme called to say that the Blacks had arrived and asked if Edward thought that she needed to 'stop by' and see how you were feeling," he replies, his golden eyes looking at me meaningfully. "Alice couldn't see what had happened, only that you were gone."

I shook my head against the things he was saying. There's just no way Jacob posed that kind of threat to me. I never felt threatened at all. I could have done without him kissing me, but that's another matter.

My father starts to bang on my bedroom door. "Bella, open up," he demands. Jasper shuts the window and stands politely in the corner.

I sigh and pull open the door for him. He walks right through to stand in front of me, not glancing at Jasper at all.

"Is it true? Did Jake kiss you?" he asks abruptly.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know," I shrug.

"They're gone now, but Billy's upset."

"_I _get kissed without being asked first and _Billy's_ the one that's upset?" I retort incredulously.

Charlie puts his hands up in a peaceful gesture, and things calm down in here again. "I'm just saying that he thinks that Edward overreacted."

"I don't think he did," I reply crossing my arms over my chest. "Jacob and I were arguing; the solution was not to grab me and kiss me, knowing full well I didn't want to be kissed."

"Well, I think that he's sorry that he did that," Charlie says.

"He doesn't like Edward."

"No, they don't," he admits. "I'm not really sure why, but that much is quite clear. I told Jacob he wasn't allowed around you again until he apologized." Well, I'm sure Edward and his brothers were happy to hear _that_. "Edward asked me to let you know he'll call you later."

My eyes widen in surprise and look from my father to Jasper, who of course doesn't look surprised at all.

"He left?" I ask Jasper.

"He was pretty upset, Bells, I think he could use the time to calm down," my father says. I'm sure he was plenty upset, but with Jasper around, calming down isn't really an issue. "Do you need a ride home?" My father looks a little uncomfortable about speaking directly to Jasper.

"No, sir," Jasper says politely. "I can call Alice to come pick me up."

"All right, Charlie says. He turns to leave, but then quickly turns back to me. "You're sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine," I assure him. He nods once then leaves closing the door behind him. I immediately round on Jasper.

"He _left_?"

"They probably want to follow the Blacks to the treaty line," Jasper says.

I sit down on the bed feeling depressed. Not that I don't adore Jasper, but why couldn't he go with Emmett? In fact, I'm not even sure why it was Jasper who brought me up here in the first place.

Then it occurs to me.

Jacob's blood.

Edward was probably nervous that Jasper might not be able to control himself around Jacob's blood.

I look up at Jasper who's still studying me closely. "I think you're a lot stronger than everyone gives you credit for."

"I think your birthday proved otherwise," he counters.

"I think you're a lot stronger than _you_ give yourself credit for, too."

His eyes widen slightly and I can tell he doesn't know what to make of what I said, but he'll be able to feel my sincerity. I flop backwards onto to my bed and stare up at the ceiling to wait for Edward. As it turns out, it's a longer wait than I expected.

***************************************************************

EMMETT'S POV

Bella looks up from her computer as I land silently and lightly in her room. "You know, maybe the reason you got sick is because your window is always open."

"Shut up, Emmett," she says. "What are you doing in here anyway? You never come in."

"That's because you're always asleep when it's my turn. You're awake now and it's dead boring out there." I hook a thumb over my shoulder.

"So you figured you'd bug me?" she replies.

"It's one of my favorite pastimes."

"You're hilarious," she grumbles. She shuts her computer down and stands up, grabbing her backpack and pulling her shoes on.

"Whoa, where are you going?" I ask.

"School," she replies. Here we go.

"Carlisle told you that you couldn't go back yet."

"I'm not contagious and I don't want to be cooped up here anymore. Charlie said I could go back. He outranks Carlisle."

"Listen, you know damn well…" I break off and my jaw drops open in surprise. "What the hell is _that_?" I demand pointing at the small orange kitten that just entered her room.

She sighs heavily in response. "It's a cat."

"I see that. What the hell is it doing _here_?"

"Jacob sent it over as part of his apology," she explains. "I don't know why Jacob thought I'd want an animal of any kind, but Charlie, who looked none too happy about the arrangement, thrust him at me anyway last night and mumbled something about wishing Jacob had cleared his apology first."

I look from the cat to Bella and laugh. "Bella, Jacob's not apologizing; Jacob's antagonizing us, well probably really Edward, but he must know we're all here."

"What?" she asks. "What are you talking about?"

"What do we eat?" I retort showing her my gleaming white teeth.

I watch in amusement as the pieces fall into place in her head. Now she looks pissed.

"Don't eat my cat, Emmett," she suddenly orders. She puts on the funniest stern face and points a finger at me. Like she could stop me even if I wanted to eat it.

"You're not seriously going to keep it." It comes out sounding more like a fact rather than a question.

Instead, she glares fiercely me…well, fiercely for Bella. It's not like she's scary or anything. She slings her backpack over her shoulder and storms out of the room. I follow her. This is _so_ much better than hanging out outside!

"_I_ am going to school today, Emmett. If you want to stop me, you're going to have to do it bodily. At which point, you'll be sorry." I follow her right through her living room and stop in the foyer with her as she puts her coat on. "And if _your brother_ has a problem with it, he can take it up with me himself that is if he ever decides to see me again."

Edward's been kind of keeping his distance. He's a little upset and he knows that Bella is still pissed at him for demanding she not see Jacob, not that I think she wants to now. Well, keeping his distance might be a loose interpretation. He's still been hanging out watching her house just as much as he's usually here and slipping in when she's asleep. The two of them are more stubborn than Rose and I.

He's been moping out in the woods, but Alice told him he had to go to school before the faculty starts asking questions. Peter and Charlotte are still at the house with Esme and Carlisle. Bella wasn't _supposed_ to go yet, so I was to hang around with her while Edward was reluctantly at school.

The best laid plans, right?

She flings open the front door, steps out onto the stoop and immediately slips on the ice there. Lucky for her I have the reflexes that I do, or she probably would have ended up needing stitches. Instead, I pick her up and carry her safely down the stairs.

"You're not going to try and stop me?" she asks suspiciously, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.

"Hell no! This is going to be great!"

She rolls her eyes.

"I do have one condition."

"There's always a catch," she mutters as we approach her decrepit old tank of a truck.

"I drive."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thank you for the reviews! And to everyone who is adding this to their story update and favorites lists! Each time I see that, it puts a smile on my face!**_

_**Thanks to my super beta who always gives it to me straight and has yet to simply placate me and always indulges my "Okay, hear me out on this one" emails.**_

_**Disclaimer: Oh, if wishing made it so…I'd have thought of this **_**and**_** Harry Potter, but alas, I did not.**_

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Emmett pulls my truck right next to Edward's Volvo. As we pulled into the parking lot, Edward was pacing in front of his car, having, I'm sure, heard my truck's approach, likely from my house. I'm surprised, quite frankly, that he didn't try to intercept us. Then again, he's been lying pretty low.

"You've already explained all this to him on our way into the parking lot, haven't you?" I surmise dryly. Emmett turns and grins widely at me.

"Even the cat."

"Traitor," I mutter, but he just laughs loudly as we get out of the truck.

Edward's at my side in an instant, a mixture of relief, concern, annoyance, longing and love reflect back at me. He's happy to see me, but he's still upset. That makes two of us. Of course, now he's concerned I'm pushing myself.

"What are you doing here?" he demands quietly.

"I go to school here," I quip.

"You're not supposed to be back in school yet; you're still sick," he counters.

"How would you know?" I shoot back.

His eyes narrow and his jaw tenses. It's a low blow. Of course he would know. Not only am I positive he's been sneaking in to my room at night when I've been sleeping, like he used to do, but Alice would know if anything had changed.

"You should rest more," he runs a hand through my hair and watches it with his eyes.

"I'm not made of china."

"You are."

I sigh heavily and roll my eyes in response, after which I turn and head into school. All day long, Edward stays quietly by my side, his disapproval at my being there rolling off him in waves, but it feels good to be back. It's good to be around my friends again. It's good to be around _him_ again. Jessica chats incessantly at lunch and fills me in on the gossip I missed while I was out. Angela likewise seems overly enthused I'm back. Lauren sits at the end of the table and scowls. I'm thinking she's not as happy.

When Advanced Biology rolls around, it's a lab I haven't done before. Edward's got his head propped up on his hand and is lightly running his finger up and down my arm. It's making me nuts. I'm trying to pretend I'm not affected as I peer into the microscope.

"Bella?" he says quietly.

"You're talking to me?" I murmur.

"_You're_ the one who's mad at me," He counters.

"Because you're being a tyrant and I seem to recall quite the attitude from you, not to mention being called ridiculous and naïve," I say forcefully, finally looking at him. He looks unhappy.

He pushes himself up and leans towards me. "What if I apologize?"

"Would you mean it?"

"I'm very sorry I lost my temper."

"What about the tyrant thing?"

"Surely you can see the danger now."

I bite my bottom lip and peer back into the microscope. I do want to accept the olive branch. This is our first real fight. Well, other than the whole changing me into a vampire argument, which is an ongoing conflict of opinion. But this was a fight followed by stony silence and teenage stubbornness.

Edward tenses up a bit and then glares at Mike Newton before straightening up. "What's wrong?"

"Newton's happy you're mad at me," he shrugs. "He's hoping you're going to break up with me. Actually, it seems quite a few people think that." He glances around the room a bit curiously. "Is that all it takes to break teenagers up? One argument?"

"You know I don't know."

"You have had friends with boyfriends, haven't you?"

I look at him again and his black eyes look agonized. "I'm not going to break up with you, Edward; stop being dramatic."

"Am I forgiven?"

"Yes."

"At last."

"You might have been forgiven earlier, if you'd bothered to wake me up and find out." I give him a sidelong glance before peering back into the microscope. He smiles my favorite crooked smile.

"You need your sleep; you're recovering from the flu." He brushes my hair gently away from my face and over my shoulder.

"You know, just because you're forgiven does not mean there's nothing to discuss still."

He sighs and sits up. "Bella."

"The Blacks are like family to Charlie, Edward; I need to tell him _something_. I can't just _not_ see them; I need some kind of excuse. He won't accept me just avoiding Jacob."

His black eyes glance over my shoulder and fix at something on the wall behind me. He looks back at me with a look of determination and says simply, "Okay."

He met me as usual after all of my classes, being a little more physical as we walked than he normally is, not much, but enough for me to notice. So I was still surprised when I emerged from my last class and he wasn't there. I walked out to the parking lot and was even further surprised to see Rosalie waiting for me leaning up against her shiny red BMW, drawing stares.

She greeted me simply by gesturing to the passenger side door. "Edward asked me to pick you up. He and Alice are…occupied with something right now. I'm to take you home." A little warning on his part would definitely have been nice. He knows how Rosalie freaks me out.

"Occupied?"

"I'll explain on the way."

******************************************************

Edward, Alice, Carlisle, and I stand in a straight line in the middle of the clearing while the pack approaches. Sam Uley and Jacob Black are in their human form, but they're flanked by two phased wolves.

I didn't want Alice here, but I was outvoted. Carlisle and Edward thought her talent would come in handy, however, she hasn't seen a thing. I'm suspecting more and more that she can't actually see the wolves. She didn't see Jacob at Bella's house and she was very upset about that.

We've put off the meeting as long as we possibly could. Peter and Charlotte need to hunt and we need to know that they can leave unharassed. Charlotte wants to be able to say goodbye to Bella, but Edward won't allow it while they're this thirsty.

I send out a pre-emptive wave of calm; Sam and Jacob look at us more suspiciously now.

"You wished to talk?" Sam greets Carlisle flatly.

"We wish to discuss the treaty," Carlisle nods. "It seemed prudent with the reemergence of the pack."

"It remains intact," Sam assures, though he glares over at Edward. Jacob's face looks like nothing happened. The wolves seem to be quick healers.

"But there are new issues," Jacob interjects hotly. It doesn't appear that he took Sam by surprise, but Sam, as pack leader, is generally the spokesperson. Jacob's also a young wolf.

Alice and I don't have any experience with werewolves, at least not this species, so the others filled us in on all they learned last time they lived here; a lot was speculation though. Carlisle is hoping to have a better relationship with this pack.

"Isabella Swan is off limits," Edward's voice is soft, even, and extremely menacing.

"Bella is a human and protected by the pack," Jacob shoots back.

"She lives in Forks which is neutral and not protected by the treaty," Edward counters.

"You have guests that are not like you," Sam replies. "We simply fear for her safety. The treaty also prohibits creating any new vampires."

"Her safety is not in question," Edward says simply.

"It's _always_ in question," Jacob retorts.

"Bella is with Edward by her choice," Carlisle says calmly, as I once again diffuse the tense atmosphere. "As such, the rest of us are sworn to protect her, from all dangers, including those presented by our own kind. No one in my family poses a risk to her."

"You'd fight your own kind?" Sam questions.

"To the death," Carlisle confirms. "We have _killed_ our own kind before to protect her." Jacob and Sam seem to look at Edward a little differently now.

"Perhaps we should speak with Bella," Sam considered.

"Absolutely not," Edward immediately denies.

"Why not?" Jacob asks.

There is a low growl emanating from Edward before he answers, "The last time that you saw her, the encounter ended with you assaulting her."

"One representative from each side," Alice suddenly pipes up; Edward glares at her.

"Myself and Carlisle," Sam says. It looks like he might possess a shred of reasonableness after all. Edward is radiating tension. It's nearly all I can do to keep him from ripping out Jacob Black's throat.

"Tomorrow afternoon, right here, when Bella finishes school for the day?" Carlisle negotiates.

"Is there a reason that we can't do it now?" Sam replies.

"The sun is setting," Carlisle answers. "Bella is recovering from the flu. It would be better if she wasn't out in the cold at night."

"Tomorrow then," Sam nods in agreement.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Thanks so much to everyone who reviews and those of you who are just adding the story to your update or favorite lists. I really appreciate that too!**_

_**Disclaimer: Just having fun. Not mine. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_**And as always, thanks to my beta extraordinaire for always being Johnny on the Spot with the editing!**_

_***************************************************************_

BPOV

Rosalie slowly scrutinizes my bedroom, studying every nook and cranny like she's investigating something. I'm still kind of wary about being around her. I haven't felt the hostility from her lately that I usually do. I certainly don't expect her to hurt me, but she is usually…unpleasant…towards me. The first time I met Edward's family, he assured me that she would come around. Maybe that's what's happening now.

"Rosalie," I ask hesitantly and she looks at me silently. "What parts of the treaty are they renegotiating?"

"We didn't associate with any humans last time," she shrugs and turns back to my music collection, which has grown significantly since meeting Edward. The cat, who has yet to be named, is cowering from her in the corner, hissing. She hisses back and he runs under the bed.

"They're negotiating _me_?" I ask incredulously.

"You expected Edward to do nothing?" she replies.

"I don't want to be the cause of all this inconvenience for everyone."

"Well, it's too late for that. And if you ask Jasper and Emmett, they'll tell you its excitement and not inconvenience." She leaves her opinion off, thankfully.

I turn back to my computer and she straightens up and looks quickly to my window.

"What is it?"

"I'm taking you to my house," she says.

"What's wrong?" I ask standing up and pulling on my shoes.

She looks out the window and scrunches up her face in disgust. "Ew." I look out the window and see Jacob and Billy pulling in the driveway. "Don't move. Stay right in here until I come back for you."

She jumps effortlessly from the window and I move to look out.

Jacob gets out of the driver's side and glares at Rosalie.

"What's up, dog?" she greets. Her stance is protective and I realize that though she dislikes me, she's willing to fight to protect me.

Rosalie is definitely a tough egg to crack.

"My father is here to see Charlie," Jacob says by way of explanation.

"_You_ are not allowed here."

"That hasn't been finalized."

"I think the most prudent course is for you to exercise extreme caution in the meantime," Rosalie replies coldly.

"I'm surprised you can think at all, blondie, and until Sam tells me otherwise, I still consider this house as neutral territory."

Rosalie looks at him long and hard. If I were on the other end of _this_ chilling glare I'd definitely heed her words, but Jacob looks unfazed…um, no pun intended.

"Okay," she finally shrugs and pounces back up to my room a split second before Charlie emerges in the driveway.

"Let's go," she orders, grabbing all my books and backpack. "Pack a quick overnight bag. I don't know if you're coming back here tonight. Go along with whatever I say."

I nod, unwilling to turn her animosity back in my direction and pack the first things my fingers touch. As we walk out of my room, I duck into the bathroom and grab my toiletries, and then Rosalie walks me right out the front door with her arm around my waist to where Charlie is eyeing up her BMW with appreciation while Jacob looks like he wants to slit its tires.

Charlie looks surprised to see us. "Where are you headed, Bells?"

"Shopping," Rosalie smiles sweetly, but her eyes dare Jacob to challenge her. "I'm going to help Bella pick out a Christmas present for Esme." Wow, does it get any more 'innocent' girl time than that? "Is it all right if she sleeps over our house tonight? We might be out a little late."

"On a school night?" Charlie looks doubtful.

"Alice and Edward will take her to school tomorrow," Rosalie assures.

"I don't know…" Charlie looks apprehensive and Jacob looks like he smells victory. Rosalie gently tightens her grip around me. At least she's not crushing my foot like Alice usually does.

"Maybe you could make an exception just this once, dad?" I turn beseeching eyes on him and watch him instantly cave. "Esme has done so much for me, especially when I was sick, and I'm getting A's in all my classes so far. I really want to get her something nice."

"Well, all right, maybe just this once, but don't think I'm going to let you make a habit of this," he says sternly, waving a finger at me.

"Absolutely not," Rosalie assures matter-of-factly. "Carlisle and Esme would never condone such a thing. And Bella will sleep in the guest room." What guest room? Charlie looks like he didn't consider the little detail of me spending the night in the same house, officially, as my boyfriend.

"Okay…well…" Charlie says slowly. "I know you're not coming home, but you still shouldn't stay up too late, Bells."

"I won't, dad," I smile angelically.

"Wow, Charlie," Jacob pipes up. "You're pretty trusting. My dad would never let my sisters stay at their boyfriend's house, would you, dad?"

"Well, Charlie's clearly a 21st Century kind of guy that trusts his daughter and has confidence in the way she was raised." Rosalie turns on the charm. I've never seen her use her vampire talents on a human before. I know Charlie's not her prey, but if he was, he'd be a goner for sure because he looks besotted right now.

"Er, good night, dad!" I call over my shoulder as Rosalie leads me to the passenger side of the BMW.

"Nice car," Charlie says.

"Yeah, if you like flashy and only care about appearances," Jacob grumbles.

Rosalie all but shoves me into the car. She pulls away from the house appearing to be every bit the responsible driver, until we're out of sight, whereupon she drives like a bat out of hell. I just hang on and try not to throw up.

************************************************************

EPOV

Being the son of a clergyman, Carlisle knows his Bible well. His favorite passage is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. _There is an appointed time for everything and there is a time for every event under heaven_. Since meeting Bella, time has never meant more to me. It's never been more precious. It _is_ relative. Every day counts, every minute, every second. Divine time is a right or opportune moment.

Our relationship seems almost based on timing. Perfect timing. My perfect timing in consistently saving Bella from death and continuously sentencing her to a fate _worse_ than death. However, time seems to be the one thing I don't seem to have enough of with her.

I stare down at the simple note in my hand, personally delivered by Jane flanked by two of the Volturi Guard. They were waiting for us at the house when we returned.

**We look forward to meeting the newest member of the Cullen clan****.**

How did they _know_? How could they possibly know? I could not bring Bella to Volterra. It was absolutely out of the question.

"Is she here?" Jane asks. She sounds like she could care less.

"She's out with Rosalie," I murmur as my phone buzzes a text message in my pocket.

"Jane! It's nice to finally meet you," Carlisle greets entering the living room with Esme. "How is my dear friend Aro?"

"He's well; he sends his regards," she nods once.

I look down at my phone and if my heart were beating, it would stop at Rosalie's words. 'We're on our way there.'

'Do not come here until you hear from us. Drive around.' I text back. The thought of Bella walking into the house now with three human killing vampires turns my stomach.

I'm so tempted to whisk her away. I don't see how I can not. Going to Volterra is simply not an option. However, I have no doubt the Volturi would find us. There's no better tracker than Demetri.

I don't know that they won't follow me to her. It's what I would do. And when they do, they'll see that she's human. When they do, they'll know I broke their law. Willingly and blatantly broke their law. It's not like I didn't _know_ I was doing it when I did it. It's not like we didn't know that exposure could likely bring us to this moment. Alice hadn't seen this; she hadn't been looking for a visit from Italy.

Emmett's phone buzzes in his pocket. He fishes it out and leaves the room. It's Rosalie. I'm sure she's trying to find out what's going on. Why would she be bringing Bella here though? She was supposed to stay with Bella at her house until I got there. It's a school night and Bella's curfew is earlier. The _last_ thing I need right now is for Charlie to ground Bella for breaking curfew.

Actually no. The last thing I needed right now was for the Volturi to find out about Bella.

I hand the note to Carlisle without a word. His expression never falters when he reads it. "Well, please tell Aro we look forward to introducing her." He smiles.

WHAT!?

He doesn't look at me. He's intentionally keeping me out of his head. Is he _insane_? Does he honestly believe I'm going to bring Bella into the Lion's den like a lamb to the slaughter?

"You understand since you are such a dear friend of my Master's, Carlisle, that he has invited you to Volterra to introduce Bella personally. You are well aware of the law, I am sure, so he is most interested in the reason why she is not, as yet, changed?"

She says it pleasantly, but it's a threat. It's clear that the only reason we haven't been slaughtered on the spot for exposure is because of Carlisle and Aro's old friendship.

Emmett returns to the room. He looks at me as he resumes his spot next to Carlisle. _"Jacob Black showed up at Bella's house. That's why Rose was bringing her here. _Billy Black_ apparently wanted to see Charlie."_

Dear God, can _anything_ else go wrong right now? How is it that one person can attract so much calamity? And what are the odds that that is the person with whom I fall in love?

Bella would only attract half as much calamity if it wasn't for me, though she was doing just fine on her own in that respect.

Jane looks to me and I see how they knew about Bella.

Victoria.

Just like I was afraid of. She went to the Volturi and told them about Bella. She's too much of a coward to fight her own fight. She was hoping the Volturi would take care of it for her, but she obviously didn't know about Carlisle and Aro's past.

Our one and only break.

I look back to Carlisle. Still nothing. Why is he blocking me?

"Please tell Aro that Bella is still in school and I will try to arrange with her father a visit out there when she is on her Christmas break. I don't want to arouse suspicion," Carlisle says.

"Of course," Jane replies with a nod. "Until then."

Jane and her guard leave the house. Everyone exchanges nervous glances, but I look right to Carlisle for an explanation.

"_You'll remember what I told you about their talents?"_

"Yes."

"_Good."_ He says and leaves the room; Esme follows him.

But what does that mean? Carlisle has told all of us of each of the Volturi and their guards' talents, but that still doesn't explain what he means.

"What the _hell_ was that about?" Emmett demands.

"I don't know." I confess.

"We can't take Bella to Italy," Emmett says.

"Carlisle seems to think we can," Jasper says. "Alice?"

"I don't know," she says, crossing her arms over her chest. "They haven't made any decisions. Of course, I didn't see their decision to send Jane either."

"Nobody expects you to catch everything, Alice," Jasper says gently.

But we do. Her gift is imperfect. She constantly reminds us of that fact, but we rely on it as if it were perfect. Alice is more sensitive to vampires, so of course the one person who needs her sight the most, is the one she can see the least.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Okay, my beta assures me this doesn't fall off the storyline wagon with this chapter, which is good because I really liked the idea. But if you think it does, well….at least I'll have my beta to keep me company in the looney bin because he thought it was a good idea too! (Usually people absolve their betas of mistakes, but I throw mine under the bus, too.)**_

_**Thanks to everyone who is reviewing and adding this or me to their favorites and update lists! I have been responding to reviewers, so take a sec to tell me what you think!**_

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BPOV

Edward is a basket-case when Rosalie and I _finally_ pull up to the house and into the garage. He crushes me to his chest and I have to admit I'm confused. Rosalie didn't get too much out of Emmett, but whatever was keeping us away doesn't appear to have been good.

"Can't…breathe…" I gasp against him and he loosens his grip but does not let me go. Jasper, Emmett, Edward and Alice are talking very quickly. I mean, _very_ quickly. They're talking about protection and strategy, timing. Edward seems to be getting more and more agitated as the conversation continues.

He finally lets out an extremely frustrated, and a bit menacing to someone who doesn't know him, growl and whisks me upstairs to his room. He pushes the door shut with more force than he usually displays in my presence and deposits me on the edge of the bed. Then he steps back and runs his fingers into his hair.

"I can't think." he says quietly.

What on Earth is going on? What has got him so upset?

"Edward," I pop off the bed and step to him, gently putting my palm on his cheek. "What's the matter? Did the negotiations not go well?"

He shakes his head and looks at me; his eyes agonized. "They're going too fast. I can't catch it all."

I've only seen him this upset once before, and I don't even have a clear memory of it; in the ballet studio, after he pulled James off of me. Things went that badly with the pack?

"Bella," he says looking at me intensely. "There is a lot I have to tell you."

"Okay." I nod encouraging him to get on with it.

"You should sit back down."

"It's that bad?" I ask surprised. He nods and leads me back to the bed. This is not instilling a lot of confidence in me right now.

"The pack's not really the bad part of the news in light of new developments, though I am certainly less than thrilled."

"What did they want?"

"They want to talk to you." He says. "Tomorrow after school, Sam Uley wants to speak with you himself, just him, and Carlisle will accompany you. You'll go to the clearing with him. I'll be as close as I can be."

"What does he want to talk to me about?"

"He wants to be sure you're not being coerced by me; that you are with me of your own free will. Carlisle won't let anything happen to you."

It's really quite incredible that werewolves and vampires are part of my daily life, that a vampire is essential to my existence, and right now they're fighting over my best interests and who is less deadly to me.

I put a pin in that issue for now. I'll be with Carlisle and I'm not worried. From the tortured look in his eyes, I know this wasn't the worst thing he needed to tell me.

"And now what are you putting off telling me?"

I thought that would at least get a smirk out of him. It hasn't; this is bad. I didn't think it was possible for him to get any paler than he normally is, but he does now. His eyes look haunted, hopeless.

"The Volturi have _requested_ a personal introduction of you," his voice is even and hollow.

"They're coming here?" I gasp. They can't come to Forks! That would be completely disastrous. Only Volterra is safe from their hunting.

"No," He laughs without humor. "We're to bring you there."

I am…confused.

I say the first thing that comes to mind.

"Edward, I can't possibly go to Italy, I have to go to school."

He looks at me sadly.

"Carlisle told that to Jane; he told them that we would bring you there during Christmas break."

"_Why_ would he do that?"

"I don't know," he says softly. "He blocked me."

"How am I supposed to…Charlie is not going to let me go to Italy for Christmas, Edward!"

"No, we're going to have to tell him something different. They'll find us though, Bella, they have the best tracker in existence." He looks over my shoulder, his eyes dark and deadly.

"Are they going to…kill us?"

His eyes instantly snap back to mine. "They expect you to be changed."

What? _This_ is the problem?

"Oh, Edward! So _change_ me then! I can't believe this is what you're bothered by! Is the thought of me being like you _really_ that disgusting to you?"

"It's not that simple, Bella, and that's not the issue," he replies. "If you were changed right now, you can't go on a plane in December, you'll slaughter all the passengers!"

"What _is_ the issue then, Edward?" I ask desperately. My voice is shaky and I can feel the hot tears sting the back of my eyes. How very human of me. "Please help me understand this. Do you really _not_ want me forever?"

"Bella, don't be absurd," he says, instantly angry, and he just as instantly softens in the face of my tears. I try to hold them back, I really do. I hate crying in front of him. It's just so…_female_. "Please calm down, love. Of course I want you forever. There's no one else I've ever wanted or ever could want. But changing you because it's what _I_ want, Bella, it's just so selfish of me. And what if you regret it and resent me for it?"

"I could never regret anything that keeps me with you." I whisper, wiping away the tears. "Alice saw it, it's what I want and now the Volturi are demanding it. Shouldn't I be able to have a say in who does it? Shouldn't I be able to pick the moment, how I'm going to be frozen for all time?" He smirks at me, and I'm assuming its because of the utter irony of my statement. No one got to pick how they were frozen.

"Ah, ah, ah." He finally smiles my favorite crooked smile. "I told you, that comes with conditions."

"What conditions?" I ask. We're interrupted by a knock on the door though. Am I ever going to find out what conditions he's referring to?

"Come on in, Emmett." He permits.

I sigh and look at Emmett as he enters. He has Alice with him, who's absolutely beaming with happiness. He looks from me to Edward and Alice bounces over and sits next to me on the bed. Edward arches a brow at them.

"So," Emmett says. "I've got an idea."

Alice is bubbling over.

Emmett looks mischievous.

Edward looks incredibly intrigued.

I am guaranteed not to like Emmett's idea.

I am not disappointed.

"You get married." He says this like it's the most obvious solution in the world.

Everyone turns immediately to me in unison. However, I'm having a bit of a hard time reacting because I'm still processing what he said. He didn't seriously say 'married,' did he?

It feels like hours before I speak.

"I don't understand," I say, as I shake my head.

"You and Edward get hitched," he explains. "The Volturi will see how committed you are and accept that as the reason you're still human right now."

"This is wonderful!" Alice gushes throwing her arms around my neck. I look over at Edward, who's very quiet.

"Whoa, hold on," I say prying myself away from Alice. "I'm in high school! I can't just get married!"

"You're 18." Emmett shrugs. "By law, you can do whatever you want."

"Listen, I know you guys are bored having to go through high school for the tenth time, but in case you haven't noticed, nobody gets married while they're still in school anymore. It's not done."

"It's not like you have to go register and have a reception; it's just for the Volturi."

"Emmett, I'm worried about telling Charlie and Renee I'm getting a C in American History. You're suggesting I tell them I'm getting _married_?"

"You don't have to tell them anything."

"Not only am I hiding a trip to Italy, but I'm also hiding a _marriage_?"

I have to confess that in my plans to remain with Edward for eternity, I never really thought of marrying him. My parents' marriage was such a disaster that I never really equate a serious committed relationship with marriage. I can't say that I didn't think about vampires being married because I know Rosalie and Emmett have married each other several times, but I know that the ceremony isn't really a big deal in the vampire world.

I guess I just kind of thought of it in the abstract. On the one hand, it's not like I see myself ever being with anyone else. Edward is all I want forever. But on the other hand, well, I actually _am_ 18. 18 year olds don't get married. Not the non-pregnant ones.

I touch my fingertips to my temples and take a deep breath.

Married.

"Edward," Alice says. They're all studying me closely. "She looks like she's about to get hysterical, what's going on?"

"She's had a lot to absorb in the last few minutes. Why don't you give her a few minutes?" Edward suggests to them. I can feel his scrutiny on me as Emmett and Alice leave the room.

"Bella, love," he says slowly, like he's trying to convince a four year old not to drop a bomb. "You look a little overwhelmed. Do you want to lie down?"

"Yes," I whisper.

That's a great idea. It's getting late. I promised my dad I wouldn't be up late. I should do what my dad says. I'm a good kid; I listen to my father. My father told me not to run off and get married too young. Actually, I think that was my mother. I can't really remember right now. I think lying down is a good idea. Burrowing under the covers and not coming out for a few months sounds like a good plan.

I turn around and crawl to the head of the bed. Edward pulls the covers back for me. I don't even bother getting changed out of my clothes. He pulls the covers up to my chin and I squint my eyes closed. Eventually, I feel myself relax as he gently strokes my hair.

Married.

To Edward.

Married.

To a boy from a small town.

Just like my mother.

But if I'm making an eternal commitment to Edward already, does the married part really matter that much? My mother didn't think of this particular scenario when she was warning me about getting married too young. It's not like if I say, 'Hey mom, I have to get married or I'm going to die a very gruesome death.' I'm sure her opinion, and Charlie's for that matter, would be very different in this particular situation.

Married.

I think I definitely need to sleep on this.


	11. Chapter 11

_**All right, so my inbox exploded from the last chapter, so I'm thinking you like the direction this is going! I wasn't going to post this one today because now you're caught up to what I have written, but well…you seemed to like the last one so much I thought you'd like the treat. **_

_**Thanks bunches to everyone who reviews! And thanks to everyone who adds this and me to your lists. The biggest compliment I can get is you wanting to read it again!**_

_**Reviews make me write faster.**_

_**To my awesome beta Rick, so it seems that storyline worked out…LOL!**_

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EPOV

I lay on the bed next to Bella for hours watching her sleep. I will miss this when she's changed. She's so peaceful now. On the other hand, she won't ever need to sleep again, and so that also has its benefits…benefits I can't allow myself to think about while she's still human.

I move a little lower on the bed, cross my arms, drop my chin to my hand, and continue to look at her. She's been restless tonight and I'm not surprised. There was quite a bit to take in and I'm not surprised she overloaded. Now she has to go to school in a few hours and pretend that nothing is wrong.

I am astounded how, day in and day out, since she's met me, she's been able to act as if there was nothing strange about us. That's because to her, nothing _is_ strange about us. I know there have been moments that she has been afraid, but they have always been overshadowed by her curiosity and intrigue. Even Jasper doesn't scare her.

I have it in my power to give her what she wants: eternity with me. I want it so badly I can taste it. The mere thought of it conjures her exquisite taste with crystal clarity and I instantly crave it.

To transform her means that I alone would be responsible for causing her pain. Excruciating, agonizing pain. And so with the sweet memory of the taste of her blood comes with it the first hand knowledge of what she will look like going through transformation. How she'll scream against the fire, call my name desperately, writhe with a crazed look in her eyes. I know. And _she_ knows. Yet, she is willing to endure it as long as I am there when it's over.

I cannot say that I was ever _really_ afraid of anything before I met Bella. I never really had anything to lose, and so there really wasn't anything to be afraid of. The fear I feel now though is specifically channeled in her direction, in more ways than one.

I know that once she is changed, she will still be Bella. She'll mostly be Bella. She certainly won't fall down as much and, I confess, I'll miss that. She's so clumsy it's adorable. But what if she doesn't like the way she turns out? What if she doesn't like being bloodthirsty? What if she doesn't like giving up all the human things she has now? What if she misses her family too much? And what if she comes to hate me for it?

It is something that I just need to come to terms with myself. Whether I like it or not, Bella _will_ be changed soon. If I don't do it, the Volturi will.

Or they'll just kill us.

Once she asked me to be the one to do it though, I suddenly wanted it very badly. I wanted to be the one to do it. I want it to be my venom that flows through her. I just wish it wouldn't cause her pain.

I have to say I was impressed with Emmett. Of course I thought of actually marrying Bella. It was my plan to ask her properly before she was changed. I liked the idea of being actually married to her. And something about marrying her while she was still human appealed to me. It felt like the natural course that things should follow. In fact, I was going to make it the condition of changing her myself. But now she's going to think that I only did it because of the Volturi.

I would have to give her some kind of choice I think. If I leave her the option for an annulment, then maybe she will know that it would be something I want and not something I was maneuvered into.

Her eyelids flutter. I frown and look at the clock. She shouldn't be waking up for another few hours yet.

Her endlessly deep brown eyes are on me as soon as they're open. She doesn't say a word, she just looks at me. The strange current that has passed between us before presents itself again. But this time I _can_ touch her. I am not hindered by the constraints of a classroom full of people.

I push myself forward and kiss her. She is immediately responsive and her fingers thread through my hair. Neither one of us says a word as our lips meet again and again. Her heartbeat, the metronome to my life, speeds up. Her lullaby is written in time to her heartbeat. I have never told her that.

She breaks away and tips her head slightly back and my lips practically fuse themselves to the pulse point on her neck. Always so tempting, always calling me, and always torturing me. But it's a torture that I welcome. It's something so small that I can appreciate like no one else on this planet.

She runs her hands up my chest and her fingertips leave a trail of fire behind. I can feel the excitement in me growing and I pause to rein myself in. It would be so easy, and probably so amazing, to just give in to the basic primal urges I feel for her.

Just once. Just one mind-blowing, soul connecting, life altering time. It would be so easy; so very easy to just reach out and take her.

But if at the end of it she were dead, when it was all over, if the metronome was silenced by my own hand, I could not bear it. I have come this far, I can wait. There was a time when I thought I would never even be here; that I never thought I could be this close to her. Time does not mean the same thing to me that it does to her. It would be easy to wait.

No, actually, it is not easy at all, but in the grand scheme of things, I can handle it.

I pull up and lean my forehead gently against hers. She's panting for air now and that certainly does not make this any easier.

"Marry me, Isabella," I whisper, surprising even myself by the words. "Not because of the Volturi, but because I love you and you want to. Because if we do die, it will be together and bound by something that they can't break."

She's wide-eyed and breathless. I cannot help but feel just a bit proud of myself for that.

"Edward, it goes against everything I was raised to believe," she says quietly. "It's different now."

"What is the difference?" I ask. I try to keep the sadness at her obvious apprehension out of my voice, but I do not succeed. "Why can you spend eternity with me as my mate, but not my wife? Where is the difference?"

"Marriage was the kiss of death to my parents' relationship."

"Interesting choice of words."

"What if it's a jinx?"

"What if it's just as important to me, as me being the one to change you is to you?" I counter. She has not thought of that. I drop a kiss just under her jaw and she sucks in her breath. "I promise to give you an annulment after we return to Italy and to wait patiently until you are ready on your own." I selfishly hope she doesn't take this option, but being with me must always be her choice.

She looks at me for a long moment and then finally nods. I know she is only agreeing to marriage to make me happy, but since I have no doubt that she will be with me until the day I cease to exist, I can wait for her to truly mean it.

I kiss her with a strange sense of urgency now. I felt this way once before, when I left her to track James. I didn't know if I was ever going to see her again. I knew the outcome I wanted and expected, but I thought my luck was too good to be true when she made the choice to be with me in the first place.

Now I am afraid of not making it out of Volterra. She doesn't know the strength and numbers we are going up against. The massive collection of talent all in one place. I have never been there myself, so I can only imagine it the way Carlisle has told me. I heard Emmett tell him about the marriage plan. He seemed optimistic and that gives me hope.

Bella's hand slips under my shirt and comes in contact with the skin at my side. I nearly jump at gentle touch and strain to stay in control, but my hand, completely of its own volition, mimics the action of hers. She sighs and hooks her leg over my hip, returning my kiss with fervor before she breaks off and kisses my neck.

"Bella," I groan.

"Say my name like that again," she whispers.

"Bella, I can't."

"Just this once, Edward," she pleads. As long as she doesn't say the word 'please,' I am all right. I can stand my ground. "Just this once, go a little bit further."

"Believe me when I tell you, love, I want to," I say.

She huffs and withdraws her hand. I grab it and bring her fingers to my lips.

"You should sleep; you have to get up soon for school."

"Oh sure," she scoffs. "I'm gonna sleep. My boyfriend just proposed to me, I'm all wound up, but yeah, I'm going to just go to sleep now."

I smirk at her and brush the hair away from her face. "What do I need to do to help you then?" I placate her. I prop my head up on my hand and run my finger along her arm. It raises goose bumps on her skin.

She looks at me for quite a long while. I wish so much that I could hear her thoughts. She finally blinks and shakes her head.

"What?" she asks.

I chuckle and she frowns. "What happened there?"

"I was dazzled again," she mumbles and turns away, but I hook my finger under her chin and turn her face back to me.

"I could sing your lullaby."

"It's not the same," she sighs dramatically. "You don't even play anymore." I think Alice ratted me out, the rotten little pixie.

"If you marry me, Bella, I'll play for you every day," I vow.

"Do you promise?"

"I swear."

"All right then," she nods. "You're permitted to sing my lullaby now."

She burrows back under the blankets and I laugh and pull her close. It does not take too much singing to get her to drift back off to sleep. I look back at the clock. She was awake for one charged half of an hour. That half hour took what was quickly the worst day of my existence and turned it around to the best night of my existence.


	12. Chapter 12

_**My 11 week old kitten has taken to laying on my laptop keyboard for a better vantage point in which to attack the cursor on the screen, so any random characters in the typing, I blame on him and not my wonderful beta.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews and list adds! **_

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12.

EPOV

Though its only Carlisle and Sam in the middle of the clearing with Bella, we've all formed a perimeter along the tree line. Me and my family on one side; the phased wolves on the other. I keep getting distracted by the pack's thoughts. It's very fascinating. They think individually _and_ as one.

Jacob's thoughts are alternating between hateful things about me and throwing lovesick eyes at Bella as she walks across the field with Carlisle to meet Sam. He honestly believes he'd be better for her. Ah, puppy love.

She's crossed her arms across her chest to help ward off the wind. She's bundled up from head to toe. I tried to use the further drop in temperature and the fact that it's about to start snowing as an excuse not to bring her, but Carlisle just gave me a look, told me he didn't like the situation any better than me, and ordered Bella into the Jeep.

This better not take long. It's going to take her ages to warm up.

"I hate this," Emmett mutters next to me. "They could be planning anything."

"They're not," Jasper, Alice and I chorus.

"But they _could_ be," he insists.

"It smells," Rosalie chimes in.

"Do you think they can hear us?" Jasper asks.

"Yes," Emmett, Rosalie, Esme and I answer.

"There are more of them," Esme notes. "First there were four, then there were six and now it looks like there are eight."

"Why can't I _see_ them!?" Alice wails. "I have no idea what's going to happen now, I'm completely blind."

"It must be because they're not really human right now," Esme says. "What other explanation can there be?"

"But Edward can _hear_ them now," she continues. "This sucks!"

"Alice, be a lady," Esme chides; Emmett snickers.

I suck in my breath just as Sam and Carlisle and Bella meet in the middle. Carlisle keeps Bella back eight feet.

"Good afternoon, Sam," Carlisle nods.

Sam nods back to Carlisle and turns to Bella. "Bella."

"Hello," she says quietly. They've never met and she seems a little intimidated. He is large and the wolves behind him on the tree line are very large themselves. They might be bigger than my Volvo.

"We haven't met. I'm Sam Uley."

"It's nice to meet you," she answers. Her voice sounds a little stronger, but she takes one step closer to Carlisle and now the left side of his body is blocking the right side of hers.

"This is ridiculous," I complain. "She's nervous. Look how nervous she is."

"It's okay; she's okay," Jasper says.

"Because you're _making_ her okay. I should be out there with her."

"Then it'll look like she's being coerced," Emmett points out.

"I really don't care," I shoot back.

"Boys…" Esme chides.

"Now look what you did…" Emmett mutters and I chuckle. It's odd, but we actually sometimes egg Esme on. We weren't right now, but sometimes we do. She gets very motherly, and it's nice having a mother.

"That one on the end is hard to control," Jasper says.

"His name is Paul," I reply. "He seems to be the loose canon. Actually, Jacob Black has told him to calm down a few times. It seems he's not a big supporter of the treaty."

"Dissention in the ranks," Emmett says.

"I don't like how keyed up he is," Jasper notes. That does not instill warm fuzzy feelings in me.

"I'm sorry for frightening you that day in the woods. Am I correct that Laurent was not your friend?" Sam opens the questions.

"Yes," She says, but her voice cracks a bit, so she clears her throat and speaks a little louder. "Yes. I mean no, he wasn't my friend."

"Can I ask you some questions?"

She nods.

"How long after you moved here did you meet Edward Cullen?"

"Well, I met him in Biology on my first day of school. We were assigned to be lab partners."

"May I ask how long it was until you got together?"

"A few months later."

"Do you love him?"

"More than anything in the world," she answers without hesitation and gives Sam her fiercest glare, which as it usually does, makes Emmett chuckle.

"She is _not_ liking him," Emmett laughs.

"Sshh!" Esme and Rosalie order.

"And the rest of the Cullens, what is your relationship like with them?" Sam continues his interview.

"I consider them family."

"_She's so sweet, Edward,"_ Esme jumps in my head. _"She's a wonderful addition to our family; human or otherwise. You've done well. I'm proud of you for all you've overcome to be with her."_ My doting mother.

"Have you ever felt threatened by them?"

"No, never," she says without hesitation and we're all surprised.

"She really means it," Jasper says surprised.

Unfortunately, Jacob Black is now thinking unpleasant thoughts that Paul is feeding off of.

"They've never forced you to do anything?" Sam asks. He sounds curious.

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" Emmett growls.

"Well," Bella answers. "They're forcing me to do _this_, but then again, so are _you._ And while we're on this particular subject, I'd like to add that I have a brain and I'm perfectly capable of using it and it's also well equipped for rational thought. Everyone's supposedly so concerned for my safety and wellbeing, but nobody asked _me_ if I minded doing this today. My parents didn't raise an idiot."

That's my girl.

"Get him, Bella!" Alice cheers.

"WHOO HOO!!" Emmett shouts and claps his hands. So much for subtly watching.

"Okay, so my respect for her has gone up _marginally_ in the last few minutes," Rosalie adds.

"Nobody's forcing you to do anything," Carlisle says gently. "Sam merely wanted to meet you. I thought it was a good idea."

"He wants to see if I'm being brainwashed. If I say no, he's going to think that's not true anyway."

Paul doesn't approve of the way she's speaking to Sam and he growls, which causes an all around reaction of growling and hissing from us. Bella steps a little further behind Carlisle, but doesn't back down. She's feisty when she's mad…believe me.

"I don't mean to be rude, I truly don't," she continues. "But people love who they love and it's not something we can control, is it?"

"_Well, there it is then."_ Sam is intrigued by Bella and something she says had struck a chord. _"She's a little spitfire when she's angry. She's a lot like my Leah."_

Leah? I've only heard of an Emily in his thoughts. I wonder who Leah is. He certainly has fond memories of her. A love lost? This is definitely interesting.

"No, I don't suppose it is," Sam agrees. "Do you intend to join them one day?"

"Haven't I already?"

"Do you plan to become one of them?" he changes his wording.

"I already am; I've committed myself to Edward."

"Oooh, nice evasion, Bells," Emmett mutters impressed with how she's managing to 'misinterpret' his question.

"_Son of a bitch! She's 18 for the love of Christ! What does she even _know_ about this stuff!? I mean, is she thinking she's going to _marry_ this bloodsucker? She's a novelty to them! How does she not see this? How does she not understand she's nothing but a pet? One day, it'll be too much and one of them is going to kill her!"_

Jacob is a bit unhappy with the way this meeting has gone. Paul is snarling now and practically foaming at the mouth. The other wolves are all shouting at him to get a grip. Well, except for Jacob and Sam. It seems they can't communicate from human form to wolf form. That's interesting…and useful information.

"_I'm losing him."_ Jasper's distress signal spurs me into action the same time Paul snaps. He charges across the clearing, but I'm faster. Right before I reach Carlisle and Bella, Sam turns, phases and lunges for Paul. I grab Bella in one fluid movement and run to the woods. The rest of my family races in front of Carlisle crouched and poised for battle, but the wolves seem to have Paul well in…paw.

"_Wow, this turned into a real dog fight!"_ Emmett's is the last thought I hear clearly as I get further and further from the clearing. Bella clutches me tightly, her face buried in my neck, presumably to shield it from the wind and the snow that has just begun to fall.

I do not stop until we reach her house. Charlie isn't home yet. I reach under the eave for the spare key, unlock the door and get her into the warmth of the house.

"Well," she says, as she pulls her wool hat, mittens and scarf off. "That didn't go all that well, did it?"

"Not at the end there, no," I say, watching her move around the room. She moves over to the fire place, intent on starting a fire. "Let me," I say softly coming to her side. It doesn't seem any colder in here than it normally is, but she's probably a bit chilled from the run and she's still getting over being sick.

"How bad do you think it will be now?" She sits down on the couch and looks down at her hands. She seems unwilling to meet my eyes.

"We haven't done anything wrong," I say frowning.

"But they're mad, aren't they?" she whispers.

"One of them charged you, Bella," I say fiercely. "_They're_ mad? Technically speaking, they'll consider themselves lucky that we don't slaughter their town. We were peaceful. _They_ let it get out of hand." Paw, I add to myself.

She nods, still examining her hands and I reach down and tip her face gently up to look at me. "You've done nothing wrong," I say gently. "You understand that, right?" She nods her head. "You were right in what you said to Sam. You _are_ already one of us. They have to get through all of us to get to you, they know that."

"He's not a _bad_ kid, Edward," she says quietly looking back down again. She's sad about Jacob. She wouldn't be if she heard the things he was thinking.

"No, he's not. But he's too immature for the situation he's in. I don't understand why they phase that young. Sam seems a little more wise for his age, but the rest of them are just kids and clearly out of control." I pause, running through the wording of this next part in my head. "I believe I owe you an apology, Bella."

She's surprised as she looks back up at me and I kneel down in front of her. "For what?"

"You were right; we made you do that. I shouldn't _make_ you do anything. You are intelligent enough to make your own decisions. If you were uncomfortable with the idea, we should have relayed that to Sam and figured out something else."

"He did need to hear that from me, not that I thought he really believed any of it anyway. Do you think the others are all right?"

"Yes," I nod with a chuckle. "The wolves didn't want to fight us, well, not then anyway. Paul will be reprimanded, I'm sure and Sam will contact us. They'll want to apologize to you."

"That should be interesting." She smiles a bit. "You'll be there with me?"

"Every second," I assure and kiss her lightly on the lips. She's shaking a bit and I'm not sure if it's from the cold, adrenalin or fear. The monster in me wants to shred that flea bag Paul for being that aggressive near her. The 17 year old male in me wants to parade her along the treaty line like a new car. The gentleman in me wants to pummel the 17 year old for thinking that way. But the unbeating heart in me that's full of her is what wins, as always, and just stays by her side, always ready to protect her.


	13. Chapter 13

_**I had to change the story rating because the next few chapters aren't appropriate for a younger audience. It's not that they're really racy or anything, but things kick up a bit. Sorry kids.**_

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BPOV

"Alice, I'm trying to work on this American History essay," I say as she sticks another picture of a woman way older than me in a white dress in my face. We're sitting at my kitchen table and Alice is babysitting me while Edward hunts. She, of course, is not doing any homework, having either already done it or she's planning to just perfectly whip through it five minutes before school.

"You didn't even _look_ at it!" she complains.

"Alice, I will be married in whatever is on my body on the airplane. We are literally stopping over in Vegas and getting back on an airplane. I'm more concerned with what I'm going to tell my parents."

"Nothing."

"About the trip?" I ask incredulously.

"Oh that," she waves. "We'll figure something out. This one looks nice. I think it'll look incredible on you. It's silk."

The phone rings and I pick the portable handset up off the table.

"Hello?"

"Bella, its Jake."

_*Click_ *

I toss the handset back onto the table. It immediately rings again and I snatch it back up.

"Hello?"

"Wait, don't hang up."

_*Click*_

Alice arches her eyebrow at me in interest. She can hear Jacob's voice easily through the other end of the phone, I'm sure.

It rings again.

"I really don't think you're getting the message here, Jacob," I snap in answer.

"If you don't let me speak, I'll drive over there and you can imagine the kind of problems that will cause," he says quickly.

Alice grabs the phone. "I dare you, mutt," she chides to Jacob.

I grab the phone back, but hear Jacob's retort. "Don't tempt me, leech. I'm spoiling for a fight."

"What do you _want_, Jacob?" I ask.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were back on the phone."

"I am."

"I just wanted to say I was sorry for Paul," he says. "It was out of line. He won't do it again."

"I don't think I'm going to be in his presence anytime soon to have to worry about it."

"What, are the bloodsuckers going to lock you up in a coffin and throw you in a dungeon?"

_*Click*_

"Well done," Alice says approvingly. "Some punk kid has no right to speak to you that way."

"His father is Charlie's best friend."

"That doesn't make it okay for _him_ to talk to you that way," Alice replies. "You are not as close to them as Charlie is." I toss the phone back down and press my fingertips to my temples.

"It's going to work out, Bella," she says softly, placing her hand gently on my shoulder. I am _this_ close to breaking down into tears right now.

"Sometimes I just think he'd be better off if…"

"No, he wouldn't," she interrupts me. "You are what has been missing from his life; what's been missing from our family. The fact that you're human is, yes, something we've all had to adjust to, but Bella, we _like_ the adjustment and you _are_ worth it."

"It seems like an awfully high price to pay."

"Oh Bella!" she chuckles. "Just wait and see what's in store for you!"

"That's not fair!" I say indignantly. "What's he planning?"

"Nope, it's best not to reveal. You know how inaccurate I've been lately," she teases. "Anyway, I have some questions for you." I sigh dramatically, but it's no use really fighting it. Alice always seems to get her way one way or the other, so it's best to just give it to her straight off the bat.

"What is it you want to know?"

"Edward said he'd give you the option of an annulment, so you can wait until you were ready to _really_ marry him, and so I was just wondering if you thought you'd take it," she shrugs.

Really? He really thought I'd marry him and then dump him? I confess, this was definitely not the route I planned to go, but I do know what it means to him and if I'm going to spend an eternity with him, I guess I can do it married if that's what he wants.

"I guess I hadn't given it much thought," I begin, "but no, I hadn't planned on trying to get an annulment." I think given all he's sacrificing and doing for me, I can give him this concession.

"Good," she nods once, presses her lips together and looks off for a moment. "Yes, it's all going to work out."

I certainly hoped so.

******************************************************

EPOV

"The Guardian?" Rosalie asks appearing over my shoulder as I sit at the computer.

"Yes."

"Is it available here yet?"

"No. I will have to have it shipped."

"Which means I'd have a hard time getting parts for it, too. What do you even need that for?"

I shrug in response. She'll figure it out when she reads the specs.

"Able to withstand military-grade small arms projectiles." She's got me now. "Do you _honestly_ think that Bella is going to drive that, Edward?"

"She will if she wants me to be the one to change her," I retort.

"She'll never give up her beast."

"I think it might be at the end of its life, don't you?"

"Like she's not going to see right through that."

"I'm not really concerned," I shrug again. "Are you telling me you _don't_ want to check this out?"

"I'll take a blow torch to it for sure," she assures me and I smirk. "I just think Bella's not going to be happy. And you all have forbidden me to drive my BMW to school, but you're going to put her in _that_?"

"It's a regular looking Mercedes and the kids around here won't understand its real purpose."

"She's the daughter of the chief of police, they're going to know Charlie didn't buy that for her. I think people are going to have something to say about Bella's _boyfriend_ buying her an expensive luxury car and that's _if_ you can even get her to drive it."

Hmm…Rosalie has a point. I hate it when Rosalie makes valid points. It's truly annoying.

"I guess I'll just have to drive her around in it then," I say, looking back at the car's specs: self-sealing fuel tank, fire-extinguishing system, bullet proof windows, among the things Rosalie mentioned. There is no such thing as too safe with Bella.

But unfortunately, Rosalie is right, she'll never drive it, so it will have to be for 'me.' That and I told her I wouldn't _make_ her do anything.

I log off the site I was on, stand up and say goodbye to Rosalie, opting to leave my car behind. I need to relieve Alice. Not that Alice minds hanging out with Bella in the slightest bit, but I don't like not being with her. I loathe having to be apart from her just to hunt, but can't allow myself to the take the risk of going too long without feeding. Not to mention she can see it in my eyes anyway and yells at me for making myself uncomfortable around her; as if my physical pain isn't worth every second I get to spend with her.

As I approach her house, I can hear Alice and Bella talking in the kitchen.

"_What is it you want to know?"_ Bella sighs.

"_Edward said he'd give you the option of an annulment, so you can wait until you were ready to really marry him and so I was just wondering if you thought you'd take it_." Is she trying to sabotage me!? I hold my breath while I wait for Bella's answer. Have I mentioned before I hate not hearing her thoughts?

"_I guess I hadn't given it much thought, but no, I hadn't planned on trying to get an annulment."_

"_Good. Yes, it's all going to work out_."

I can see Alice's thoughts and they show Bella and I surrounded by my family at a chapel in Las Vegas. But she's not seeing anything beyond that. Either that or she hears me out here and is intentionally not thinking about it, which is pretty likely. She can't hide everything though and there are flashes of a castle turret, a long, cold, dark stone hallway and a brightly lit room. Volterra, I'm assuming.

The door is unlocked so I let myself in and walk at a human pace through the house. This allows Bella to see me in the living room. She launches herself out of her chair and covers the distance between us in record time.

"Edward!" she greets, tossing her arms around my neck and I hold her close.

"_I was wondering how long you were going to eavesdrop for."_

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" I growl at Alice and then look back at Bella.

"That wasn't very nice," Bella chides.

"She started it," I smirk. Alice sticks her tongue out at me and Bella laughs.

"Bye, Bella," Alice smiles and then leans in and hugs her. I release her long enough for the hug and then immediately take her back. Alice darts out the door.

I run my fingers through her hair and my hands fall to her waist when she starts pressing kisses against my neck. "I was thinking of something today," she whispers.

"What's that?" I ask with a slight groan.

"Our wedding night."

"Our wedding night is going to be on an airplane. I don't think the other passengers would appreciate that particular display of affection."

Not good.

"Well, maybe not our _official_ wedding night, but we will be staying someplace, won't we?"

"I suppose we'd have to," I say a little nervously.

"See?"

"I don't think the plan was really to get more than one room though; you're the only one that needs to sleep."

"I don't need to sleep the _whole_ time," she purrs and goes back to kissing my neck.

"Love, just because we'd be married does not make the danger to you any less," I say earnestly and gently pry her hands from around my neck. She looks disappointed. "And if we were to do…that…that would make an annulment impossible."

"Why would I want an annulment?" she asks taking a step back.

"Because you didn't want to get married in the first place."

"So you're making the decision for me?" she counters.

I sense danger.

"No?"

"You say that like you're unsure." She takes another step back and crosses her arms. "Does that mean you'll let me make my own decision on the annulment?"

"Yes, of course."

"So it's settled then."

"It is?" What is going on here? When did she get so confusing? This has Rosalie written all over it.

She steps back and slides her arms around me again and my arms instantly curl around her.

"No annulment _and_ a proper wedding night."

"Bella…" I sigh. She's going to make me come right out and say no, isn't she?

"Please?"

Or not.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Please take note that this chapter and the next one aren't appropriate for a younger audience. I changed the story rating.**_

_**Thank you SO much to everyone who reviews. I respond to them all and I really appreciate it! Thank you also to everyone who adds this or me to your favorites list. The biggest compliment I can get is you wanting to read it again!**_

_**Disclaimer: If only…**_

_**And as always super big virtual hugs to my beta Rick for his constant quick turn around, support and "Umm, yeah that doesn't really work" responses. **_

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BPOV

Edward is scowling darkly at my side at the lunch table. _No one_ is brave enough to talk to him today. He looks very menacing. Although Alice gets a little dig in every now and then. In the car on the way to school, she asked him why Jasper thought he was so frustrated and he growled at her.

Then just as we were entering the cafeteria he hissed at her, "Stop thinking about it!"

She shrugged and laughed. "You'll enjoy it," she had replied, which only put him in a worse mood.

One would _think_ that 17 year old boys would be ecstatic when presented with the opportunity for sex. Not Edward. Or maybe he is and that's what's got him so angry. That would be just like him.

"So, um, Bella," Jessica begins. Edward snaps his gaze up to hers, having I'm sure read the thought she was about to give voice to. "What are you doing Friday night?"

I look over at Edward who is frowning again. He was going to go hunting with Jasper and I was just going to hang out at home…just me and whoever was going to be lurking in the woods watching me.

"Oh, um, nothing really."

"I've decided to have a slumber party. Come!" she smiles enthusiastically. My eyes widen in surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting _that_. Edward and Alice don't immediately come up with an excuse, so I'm assuming whoever is on babysitting duty will just do it outside Jessica's.

"Sure," I stutter a bit. "I think Charlie will be okay with that." I don't think I've been to a slumber party since middle school.

"Awesome!" she squeals. "Angela and Lauren are coming too! My parents are going to be out of town." Edward sighs deeply next to me and throws a glare over at Mike. I'm assuming he's having some vulgar thoughts right now.

Okay, Angela I'm happy about; Lauren, well, she's sitting at the end of the table scowling almost as deeply as Edward, so that should certainly be interesting.

I look over at Edward. "Emmett can drop you off," he says quietly. Emmett! Twenty bucks says it wasn't Emmett's turn originally. Why can't it be Esme? I bet it _was_ Esme and he just changed it. Emmett's going to eavesdrop and then make fun of me forever over whatever it is he hears.

"We're going to have _so_ much fun!" Jessica squeals and Mike snickers. Jessica levels a glare on him. "Whatever you're planning, Mike Newton, you can stop those thoughts right there. You are _not_ crashing the slumber party."

"Aw come on, Jess!" he complains. "Don't kill our fun! You're already taking yourselves away on a Friday night." Jessica seems happy that he's put out that she will be unavailable to him. "Back me up, Edward." Edward looks surprised to be included in the conversation. He has been, after all, extremely anti-social today.

"I was going to be out of town anyway," he replies.

"Okay, but if you _were_ going to be here, you'd want to spend a Friday night with your girlfriend, right?" Mike presses.

"Yes, of course," he answers honestly. Even though he apparently is terrified that said girlfriend is going to jump his bones as soon as she has him alone. I told him that wasn't going to happen until _after_ we were married, but he still looks extremely wary.

"See! I mean, it's a Friday night," Mike grumbles.

"You'll survive," Jess grumbles back. "It'll do you some good." Now I kind of get the feeling that there's something else behind Jessica's idea for a slumber party.

"Well, don't be surprised if you feel like someone's watching you while you're changing." The other boys laugh as Mike wiggles his eyebrows at Jessica.

"You're so crude sometimes," Jessica says, rolling her eyes.

Edward pulls my chair closer to him and wraps his arm around my shoulders. He glares at Mike, who quickly looks away and bends his head together with Tyler, Eric and Ben. No doubt they're beginning to plot. Edward's position clearly states someone will be blinded if they see too much of _his_ girlfriend.

"Alice, did you want to come, too?" Angela suddenly asks. Jessica looks surprised; she doesn't often talk to Alice. Alice looks like there's nothing more in the world she wants to do than to accept the invitation and have three more living dolls to play with, but she declines the invitation. "Jasper will be home from school this weekend," she smiles.

"Oh, maybe next time then," Jessica mutters and gives Angela an annoyed look. I feel bad for Alice now and consider backing out, but it might look suspicious if I do, so I decide that Alice and I will have to have our own slumber party soon, which of course, she immediately sees, smiles and straightens up. I am _so_ in for it with that one.

"That's very nice of you." Edward's lips brush against my ear and I get a chill. He seems to realize what he did and straightens up, pulling away. I sigh. We're back to this again? It's like when we first got together and his fear of touching and kissing me. Back to the drawing board.

I've got news for him this time though, I'm going to win.

***********************************************************

Friday comes surprisingly fast. I did get my normal parting kiss and crushing hug from Edward when he left though, having apparently decided that his constant fear of never seeing me again when we're separated overshadowed these impeccable morals he's reverted to.

When Edward left, Emmett was waiting in my driveway in his Jeep. I sighed deeply, threw my bag over my shoulder and walked to the car. Emmett's not like Edward, I open my own door. He does help me with the impossible harnesses this thing has in it.

"Bells, I want to thank you for moving here and making this night possible for me," he jokes as he drives like he's in a qualifying sprint towards Jessica's house.

"_Please_ Emmett," I beg. "I'm mortified enough as it is. Please find something else to occupy your time while you wait."

"But where's the fun in that? Bella, you're part of my family now. I think of you like a little sister. And I ask you, what kind of big brother would I be if I wasn't constantly on the look out for ways to mock and embarrass my little sister?"

"A _good_ one!" I shoot back.

"Nah, you need the full experience."

"I really don't," I mutter as he pulls up to Jessica's.

"Hey, in all seriousness," he says touching my forearm as I'm about to get out of the car. "I'm going to be right up there in those trees." He points to the corner of the roof by the chimney and I smile.

"Thanks, Em," I say. "I really think you're going to be bored out of your mind."

"Oh, I really don't," He laughs. I scowl at him and get out of the car as I see Jessica open up the front door and wave at me.

"Wow, does he want to…_come in_?" Jess asks as I reach her.

"Emmett?" I ask incredulously. I look over my shoulder to where Jess is smiling invitingly at Emmett in the car. Emmett is grinning broadly, but it's not for Jessica.

"He's so good looking and he looks so…_dangerous,_" she says with a slight shiver. I look back at Emmett, who's laughing now, waves and tears off. I imagine he's going to park his car somewhere and take up his post in one of the trees.

This is going to be so incredibly humiliating.

"What's he like?" Jessica asks showing me into the living room where Lauren and, thankfully, Angela already are.

"Not like you'd expect," I say. "He's a big teddy bear."

"Oh." She looks disappointed. "No, I wouldn't expect that of him."

I put my stuff down next to Angela's and follow Jessica into the kitchen. She pulls open the refrigerator and I'm surprised when she hands me a wine cooler.

"What's this?" I ask nervously.

"A wine cooler," she states the obvious. "My sister got them for me. They're good; they're really fruity. Lauren and I have already had two." I look over to the living room and see that Angela's got one too, only it doesn't look like she's really drank any of it. She smiles slightly at me. She obviously wasn't real sure what to do either and now seems to be looking to me for direction.

"You're the chief of police's daughter," Lauren says a little snidely. "How much trouble are we _really_ going to get in?"

So it's a challenge then. If Lauren wasn't here, Jessica probably wouldn't even have thought of drinking. But now, it's if I say no, Lauren's going to tell everyone I'm boring; if I drink it, then I'm probably good to go.

I've got a lot going on in my life. I really don't need stuff like this too.

Well, why not? It's not like I'm driving, right? Down the hatch.

I throw back the wine cooler and Jessica smiles. She's right, they are good. She takes my wrist and drags me back to the living room. "Let's play truth or dare!"

That's harmless enough, right?

************************************************************

Jessica and I fall into each other giggling, even Lauren's laughing with us. Angela…I don't think she's drinking. She should. These _are_ good! I should know. I've drank…oh, I don't know how many I've actually had. They're refreshing!

"Bella," Lauren says. She leans towards me and has a very, almost evil, smirk on her face. "Truth or dare."

"Umm…truth."

"Are you sleeping with Edward?"

All three girls snap their heads towards me. Uh-oh.

"No," I reply.

"Really? You're not?" Jessica asks.

"Uh-uh, no," I say and shake my head for emphasis then take a sip of my drink…and then a few more.

"Wow. I thought you were," Jessica asks. "Don't you want to?"

"Yup," I nod. As long as we're going with truth, I guess there are _some_ truths I can give up.

"What are you waiting for? Don't you love him?" Lauren pries. "Doesn't _he_ love _you_?"

"Oh yes, he does. Very much. And how could I not love Edward? He's wonderful!" Jessica and Angela laugh as I throw my arms up over my head. "But I guess he's waiting for…" How am I going to put this? "…the _timing_ to be right." Like, me being changed into a vampire, for instance…

"Oh, yeah," Jessica says a little glumly. "That's like me and Mike. He wants to, too, but I don't know if I'm really ready yet. I mean, we've fooled around a lot, and he's a _really_ good kisser, but you only get one first time, right?"

Huh. That's true. And Edward hasn't ever done it before either. I wonder if his idea of our first time and my idea of our first time are different. They must be if in his head I'm a vampire then.

"I still can't believe you've been together this long," Lauren says to me. "He's so…mysterious."

"No, not really," I shake my head again. "Not once you get to know him."

"Nobody _does_ get to know him though," Jessica counters.

"You sit with him every day at lunch," I remind them.

"Yeah, but he doesn't talk that much," Jessica replies.

"Sure he does!"

"Not really," she shakes her head.

"Oh. Really?" I say and look over at Angela.

"Not unless he's spoken directly to," she confirms.

"Oh, well, he usually talks my ear off, so I guess I don't notice it as much," I say. I suddenly want to hear his voice and talk to him. He doesn't usually call me though when he's hunting. He's afraid hearing my voice while he's in that frame of mind is going to freak him out.

"Okay, now it's your turn for your dare, Bella," Lauren says.

"I just went! I picked truth!" I protest.

"We're switching it up a bit," she shrugs.

"What's the dare?" I sigh dramatically. I'm getting kinda tired now and my stomach is feeling a little upset. I'm not a drinker.

"Call Emmett," she says suddenly.

"What? Emmett? Why?" I ask confused.

"I don't know," she shrugs. "He's cute. Didn't you say he was dropping you off and picking you up? Won't he come?"

"Well, yeah, he will," I answer. "In fact, he's dying to come. He loves getting ammunition to make fun of me." I mean, he's outside right now. He can hear this whole conversation. I'm sure he's so excited right now, he's probably bouncing on a branch.

"Well, let's spice the party up!" Lauren says and Jessica tosses me the phone. I actually don't know Emmett's cell phone number off the top of my head, so I dig for it in my bag until I emerge with it.

He picks up on the first ring.

"I. Don't. Believe. You," he answers.

"Emmett!" I shout joyfully!

"You're loaded!"

"I've had a little to drink, yes," I nod and then giggle.

"It's like Christmas for me."

"Yes, I know. My little gift to you," I say and he chuckles. "So, do you know why I'm calling?"

"Yes, I can hear the whole conversation. I can't believe Edward's such a prude."

"Come over."

"You know, part of me thinks that's a bad idea."

"But the other part of you, the _fun_ part?" I goad.

"If I come in for a little while, will you promise not to drink anymore?" he bargains.

"Oh, hmmm…" I ponder.

"I'm coming in."

"He'll be here in a second," I mock whisper to the girls as the doorbell rings.

"Wow, that was _so_ fast." Jessica says bouncing to the door to open it for Emmett. Wow, that's a _biiiiig _smile he's got on his face!

"Emmett!" I shout again and give him a big hug.

"You're not a clingy drunk, are you?" he asks skeptically stepping inside. He fills the doorway up.

"I've never been drunk before," I shrug and the action kinda makes me dizzy.

"Ladies," he smiles to the other girls.

"Hi!" they make goo-goo eyes at him.

"You're a little worse off than I thought," he notes, catching hold of my elbows as I trip when I try to turn around. I think alcohol isn't really good for the uncoordinated.

"Noooo…." I scoff, but when I wave my hand, I misjudge and smack his arm, not that that would hurt him. I suddenly don't feel so good and the room looks a little hazy.

"Oh no," he says eyeing me up…or I think he is. He looks a little blurry. "Are you alright?"

I shake my head frantically at him, cover my mouth and run for the bathroom. I make it to the toilet just in time to empty the contents of my stomach.

"Oh gross!" I hear Jessica from the living room. I sit there for a few minutes, aware of Emmett's sighing, towering presence in the doorway. When I think it's passed, I rest my face against the cold porcelain and he crouches next to me, gently lifting my face with his ice cold hand. That feels _sooooo_ good.

"So?" he says to me.

"I think I need to leave," I whimper sitting up.

"Yeah," he agrees. I feel myself fall forward into his lap and everything goes black.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Okay, this chapter is **_**definitely**_** not appropriate for a younger audience. Please take note of the rating change.**_

_**Thanks for all the great reviews! I really appreciate it!**_

_**Thanks to my beta as always!**_

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EMMETT'S POV

What. A. Wreck.

Bella is so incredibly drunk right now. I can't believe it! Edward is going have a conniption. When I heard her hesitate before taking the first drink from Jessica, I thought for sure she would wuss out, but she didn't. She threw it down like a champ…and then another one…and then another one…I counted four.

"You don't have to go," Lauren says to me. The other girl is sleeping on the couch and Jessica just hiked her shirt down a bit so I can see more of her cleavage. You've got nothin' on Rose, babe. Plus, you're like, 70 years younger than me.

I swing Bella's backpack over my shoulder and then effortlessly pull Bella up into my arms and cradle her like a baby. Her head falls back, her mouth is hanging open and her arms are splayed out to the side.

She is sloppy right now.

"I think she needs to be put to bed," I reply.

"But she can just sleep here and you can hang out with us," Jessica suggests. "We've got beer." The alcohol seems to have made these two much more brave around me than they are sober. And this is like every 19 year old guy's dream, alone with four drunk females, two of whom look like they're going to suggest playing spin the bottle, just the three of us.

But I've got Rose, and an incredibly drunk soon to be sister now snoring against my shoulder. She's going to be miserable in the morning.

"Tempting," I lie for their benefit. "But I think I'm just going to get her home."

I make our escape before I have to pry them off of me. I hope they don't notice that I hold Bella up with one hand, while I open the car door with the other and put the seat back.

"Edward?" she murmurs.

"Emmett," I say.

"Emmett!" she calls happily opening her eyes.

"Bella, if you throw up in my car, an entire millennia will go by before I let it go. Got it?" I threaten, but she just smiles a drunken dreamy smile, pats my cheek and closes her eyes.

She's totally going to hurl in my car.

I get in the driver's side and she rolls on her side and pats my forearm now as I shift the car into gear. "Emmett…" she coos. "You're so sweet…and big." I chuckle as she tries to bat the hair out of her face, but really only succeeds in smacking herself around a bit. "Are you proud of me? I didn't tell _annnyyyybodddyy_ there that you're a vampire."

"Oh yes, Bella," I placate racing through the darkness. "You did very well."

"See!"

"Listen, I'm going to take you to my house, because Charlie's home and he thinks you're staying at Jessica's. I think bringing you home drunk won't go over too well."

"Oh no," she says seriously. "I'd probably get in a lot of trouble. He's the chief of police, you know."

"Yes, I'm aware."

"It will be nice to see everyone," she nods solemnly and I crack up. This girl is endlessly hilarious.

"They're all hunting, remember? It's just me."

"You're the only one that stayed behind?"

"Carlisle, too, but he's at the hospital."

"Not Esme?" she whines.

"No."

"But you're just going to dump me on the bathroom floor! At least Esme would take care of me." She's practically crying now.

"Well, that's probably true," I concur as my phone rings. It's Edward. Thank God.

"Dude, you owe me so big."

"Is she all right?" he asks. Alice must have seen this fiasco.

"Well, she doesn't need medical attention…yet," I look over to the passenger seat. She's rolled down the window and is hand surfing in the wind current.

"I'm on my way back," he sighs.

"You don't need to do that; I can handle it."

"I know. But it's probably going to get messy and you shouldn't have to deal with that."

"Really, I don't mind. She's hysterical."

"Great," he says. "I'll see you in a bit."

I snap my phone shut and toss it in the cupholder. "Good news, Bells. Edward's coming home."

"Edward!" she cheers. I roll the window up so she doesn't get pneumonia and her hand, of course, gets stuck at the top. She frowns and yanks at it a bit until I sigh, unroll it so she can get her hand out and then roll it all the way up.

What a night.

**********************************************************

EPOV

"I want to die," Bella groans and vomits again as I sit next to her, holding her hair out of the way. This is incredibly disgusting.

"I think you'll make it," I say dryly.

"Just kill me now, please."

"Never."

"I'm never drinking again." Since she's not going to be human much longer, she's probably right. She rests her cheek against my shoulder, sighing at the cold against her fire hot skin. "I blame Emmett."

"Why?"

"Don't you think he should have come in before I took the first sip?"

"And his excuse would have been?" I ask lightly.

"He wouldn't need one; he's Emmett," she says.

"Yes, he's very _big,_" I chuckle. Emmett replayed the whole conversation for me in his head when I got home. "You need more water." I say reaching for the glass on the sink.

"I've had three glasses."

"Carlisle says you need to hydrate or you're going to be hungover."

"I'm hungover now," she moans. "Edward, I'm very sick."

"Yes, love, I see that."

"Did I throw up in Emmett's car?"

"No, you just made it home. You did, however, vomit all over the driveway." I hand her the glass of water and she drains it. Then she rinses her mouth out with mouthwash. Thank God.

"Are you mad at me?" she pouts.

"No, not really," I say as I pick her up and cradle her against my chest, walking her carefully back into my bedroom.

"Really? Why not?"

"Bella, these are the human experiences I've been talking about," I say, laying her in bed and drawing the covers up over her. I stretch out next to her and she shimmies up next to me and rests her head on my shoulder.

"Getting drunk?"

"Well, sort of. Hanging out with friends, being a teenager, experiencing teenage stuff."

"Teenagers experience other kinds of stuff, too," she whispers, her fingers slip under my shirt and trail lightly along my stomach. It's all I can do not to flip her over and pin her down…which will probably make her throw up again. I consider stopping her, but she doesn't seem to be looking to do anything else at the moment, so I let her continue. It feels incredible, normal, intimate.

"Yes," I sigh. "I suppose they do."

"What do you imagine it would be like?" she asks suddenly. I certainly wasn't expecting that.

"I'm sorry?" I think my voice squeaked.

"Our first time," she elaborates. "What do you imagine it will be like? Or have you honestly never thought of it."

These are probably dangerous waters, but I honestly can't see the problem with simply talking about it.

"No, of course I've thought about it," I whisper.

"I see candlelight, and roses, a big bed…"

"Sounds wonderful."

"What about you?"

"I don't really know what to expect; I've never done it before," I reply and she looks disappointed that maybe I wasn't creative enough. "But you're the most beautiful thing in my world, Bella; you _are_ my world, and so I imagine it might be the most incredible experience I've ever had."

She pauses a moment. "Whoa. Really?"

"Yes," I chuckle.

Her fingers stretch out and her hand moves flatly along my stomach and up and down my side.

"I didn't realize you were looking forward to it."

"I'm male, Bella, of course I am." Now her fingertips are making small circles on my chest. It's possible I'm feeling lightheaded now. I didn't think I still could, but I think I am. The blood…venom….whatever, is most certainly not in my _head_ right now.

She props up on her elbow and looks down at me, my fingers curl together with hers on my chest.

"I thought you weren't feeling well," I whisper.

"All that water has done wonders, plus, we're all by ourselves," her voice has dropped to a level I've never heard from her before. It sounds…seductive. Emmett left to meet the others hunting and Carlisle is still at the hospital. It's the first time we've been truly alone here.

She pulls our hands out from underneath my shirt and tugs on my hand until I roll us over, balancing my weight on my elbow as my other hand ends up on her hip…pretty low on her hip, I might add.

"As insanely tempting as you are, Bella, the fact remains that I could hurt you…or worse."

As usual, that fact is not a deterrent and she adjusts her position further under me and slips one hand back under my shirt while the other tangles itself in my hair.

"Don't you think we should work our way up to the…er…big moment?" she asks, reaching up and kissing my neck, then my earlobe.

I think she was saying something. Was she saying something?

"Work our way up?" I croak.

"Yeah, do a little bit more than we normally do, then a little bit more, then a little bit more…" she trails off and her fingers have disappeared under the top of my pants.

She. Is. Brilliant.

"All right, we will try it your way. But you should know I am more scared right now than I usually am."

"Me too."

"Ah, but you are not afraid of killing me," I point out.

"No. I'm afraid because I've never done any of this before and I love you so much and I want it so much with you, but I'm terrified I'm going to be really bad at it."

That stops me for a second.

"_Bad_ at it?" I repeat. She nods. "How on _Earth_ could you be bad at it?"

"I have no experience at this."

"It's impossible; you're not going to be bad at it," I assure her lowering my lips to her delectable throat.

"Just like you won't hurt me," she replies. She is _so_ ready for me in this argument.

She arches her back and I trail kisses all along her collarbone, pausing only when she pulls my shirt over my head. I take a deep breath, her scent burning my throat as desire for her builds up in me. A different kind of craving threatens to rear its ugly head, but when I think it's going to be too much, it levels off and it hurts so good.

A euphoric feeling hits me like a wrecking ball when she removes _her_ shirt. I am nearly blinded with stimulation. Every inch of her bare skin blushes. "Are you okay?" she asks.

"Love, _okay_ is not a word I would use to describe what I am feeling."

"Does that mean we should stop?"

Did it? I was still thinking clearly and still felt in control, though I felt like I was teetering on the edge of control, but not in a bad way.

"Not yet."

_Not yet_. The gentleman my parents raised me to be is being won over by the 17 year old, hormone driven boy who could not handle the perverted thoughts the boys at lunch were having about his girlfriend and her friends. Their creepy plans to peer into Jessica's windows were near maddening, but Emmett said that they never came. They must have lost their nerve. Then there were the ugly thoughts Jacob Black had about her. Couple those together and it's no wonder I'm feeling a bit territorial.

I press my cheek against her chest and gently trace her magnificent breasts with my fingertip. I close my eyes and listen to her heartbeat. It's a little faster tonight, she's excited. She runs her fingers through my hair and when I'm on the brink of insanity from it, I roll to my back and take her with me, pulling the covers up and tucking them around her.

It's only now that I realize the argument she tossed at me just before is what _everyone_ does, at least anyone with any feelings for the person they are with. They explore, they take their time, they adjust to each new step in a relationship. Except I was propelled forward by my forever frozen teenage hormones and thought she had a new and original idea.

But she, of course, was also right. I am able to handle a lot more than I thought I could. In fact, I could probably go further, but I'd rather savor each new step in our relationship, allow myself to explore and completely adjust to getting closer and closer to her. My body is greatly protesting my decision, but Bella at least seems to understand.

"I missed you tonight, you know," she says softly with a yawn.

"I always miss you," I kiss her forehead and she pulls herself closer.

"Everyone seems to think we're sleeping together already."

"Yes, I know."

"You do?" she seems surprised and she looks up at me.

"Yes, I can hear what everyone thinks," I remind her.

"I never really thought people would be thinking that."

"Because you're sweet," I kiss her again and she lays her head back down.

"I wish it were true," she sighs.

Me too. One day.


	16. Chapter 16

_**As always, thanks for reviewing and adding me to your favorites list! I love it! **_

_**Big hugs to my beta!**_

_**I have to apologize. I would have posted this one sooner, but I honestly forgot that I hadn't.**_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

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BPOV

"Bells, I have to talk to you about something," Charlie says as we sit down to dinner. Alice, having already politely refused dinner, sits at the end of the table pretending to work on homework. She steps on my foot under the table, having, I'm sure, seen whatever it is Charlie wants to talk to me about.

"Well, it seems I'm stuck working both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year," he says. I'm not surprised. Since I spent all these holidays with my mother, he always just covered them here for the officers with families. They must have just gotten used to it there. This is the first year I've been here since I think I was five.

"Oh, well that's okay," I stumble out. Actually, I am kind of disappointed. I've enjoyed getting closer to my dad over the last three-quarters of a year.

"I thought if you wanted to, you could go see Renee for Christmas break. I'd pay your plane ticket."

"Or, if you wanted to, Bella, you could come with my family," Alice nods encouragingly.

"Oh, where are you going?" Charlie asks.

"Aspen."

"Aspen?!" Charlie laughs. "Bella on skies? Make sure you videotape it for me."

"Bella's not going to _ski_, Charlie," Alice scoffs. "You think Carlisle wants to work on his vacation? No, no, no. I don't ski anyway. Everyone else is going skiing, I thought Bella could be my shopping partner." She steps on my foot again.

"That sounds like fun," I nod.

"You've become quite the shopper since you've moved here." Charlie looks at me skeptically. Yes, it certainly appears that way.

"Well, I just go to keep Alice company," I reply. "So, it's okay then to go away with them?"

"Edward's going?" He looks unsure now.

"Of course," Alice says.

"I don't know…" He picks _now_ to show fatherly concern?

"A little trust, dad," I sigh dramatically.

"It's not you that I don't trust," he mutters.

"Dad, you've been around Edward. He wrote the book on manners."

"I was also a 17 year old boy in my former life, Bella, I'm not an idiot."

"I'm 18, dad."

"You still live under my roof."

"Okay, well, if you don't trust _Edward_, surely you trust Carlisle and Esme?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then it's okay, right?" Alice chimes in sweetly batting her eyes at Charlie. Charlie adores Alice. Ever since she helped me recover from my encounter with James in Arizona and saved Charlie from having to deal with anything mortifying for both us.

"I guess so," Charlie mutters.

"Esme is going to have so much fun cooking Thanksgiving dinner!" Alice says, dialing her cell phone. I stifle a groan. Esme is going to go crazy and I'm the only one that eats. Alice leaves the kitchen chattering away with Esme. Charlie blows out a breath and looks to me.

"You're very lucky to have friends like the Cullens, Bells," he says. "I was worried when you moved here that you wouldn't make any friends."

"They're very good to me," I agree.

"Uh-huh."

"Esme in particular," I babble on. "She really fills that mother void. She's a great role model."

"Okay, I'm just concerned that you and Edward are getting _too_ serious," Charlie finally blurts out. "I know that you see your other friends, but you two spend an awful lot of time together and I'm afraid things are moving too quickly."

Oh. God. Please tell me we're not going to have this conversation.

"We're not."

"That's what all teenagers say," he replies.

"Yeah, but we're really not," I insist. I want to tell him how we may be very serious, but we're moving _painfully_ slow.

"You're not that serious, but you want to go on vacation with him?"

"Well, no…I am…" I sputter. Where's Alice!? "I mean, I _am_ serious about him, but we're not doing…that." Yet, I amend in my head. "Don't worry, dad." I say just as Alice reenters the kitchen. "I'm not going to run off to Vegas or anything."

Alice arches an eyebrow at me. I just blatantly lied to my father. I can usually come up with something close to the truth, but this was just an out and out lie. In fact, I _am_ running off to Vegas, and then Italy. And what if things go badly in Italy? He'll know the last thing I did was lie to him.

"Esme is very excited you'll be joining us Thursday for Thanksgiving," Alice says. "And she's just over the moon about Aspen." Alice is laying it on pretty thick. "And don't worry, Charlie, we'll even bring you dinner at the station on Thanksgiving." Because there will be _so much_ left over.

"That's very nice of you, Alice." Is he blushing?

"Not at all," Alice says. "Thank you for letting Bella come with us on vacation. Everyone just adores her."

"She's a good kid," Charlie mutters and then looks down to his plate trying to avoid the awkward moment. Alice just looks at me and winks.

**********************************************

"Tell me the truth," I turn to Edward as we start down his long driveway. "How overboard has Esme gone?"

He winces a bit, not a good sign. "Try and indulge her a bit, love. She'll miss this when you're changed."

"I'm going to spend the next week in a tryptophan coma," I mutter, looking back out the window. He navigates the driveway in record time for him and pulls into the garage.

Right next to a shiny new silver Mercedes.

"Where'd that come from?" I ask.

"It got delivered yesterday. It's waiting for its license plates," he replies.

"Whose is it?"

"It's mine."

I look at him in surprise. "You bought another car?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I liked it." He shrugs, nonchalantly. "You don't like it?"

"I guess," I say with a shrug. I'm not into the sports cars like they are, though any one of them will use any opening they can to try to convince me to let Edward buy me one. "What are you going to do with your Volvo?"

"Well, _you_ could drive it," he says and I immediately scrunch up my face.

"Please. It's too flashy for me, _and_ I can't even remember the last time I drove my truck. You drive me everywhere."

"You'll like this; it's got heated seats," he says taking my hands and leading me out of the garage.

"So does your Volvo."

"I thought this was more…practical." He shrugs. I still eye it over my shoulder as he pulls me along to the house. Since I'm watching the car and not where I'm going, he has to save me from falling on my face twice. These vampires and their flashy cars, I'll never figure them out. I wonder if I'll be so into speed after I'm changed? I know I'll be faster, but will I want some fast, flashy expensive car too? Will I join this indulgence or find something else?

Just as we reach the front door, he turns to me and whispers, "Remember how much they love you."

I groan and roll my eyes. Translation: They went _reeeeaaally_ overboard.

I gasp as we walk into the house. There are fall leaf vines, cornucopias, pumpkins, squash, brown, gold and orange tablecloths, candles, an absolutely enormous centerpiece on the dining room table, a fire blazing in the fireplace. It looks like something right out of a Martha Stewart ad.

What stands out to me the most though, other than the heavenly smell of dinner in the oven, is that the elaborately decorated dining room table is not set. Edward seems to notice what I'm looking at.

"I put my foot down," he murmurs. "I threatened not to bring you if they insisted we all sit down just to watch you eat."

I smile at him adoringly. "You really do love me."

"Until the end of the time," he smiles back and kisses my forehead before bringing me to my execution…I mean into the kitchen to see everyone.

It is, of course, bustling with activity. There are three t.v.s on tuned to three different cooking shows, I see Emeril, Rachel Ray and Michael Chirorella. Everyone seems to have a job: Emmett is peeling potatoes, Jasper is shucking corn, Carlisle is basting the turkey and stirring something on the stovetop, Rosalie is peeling apples, Alice looks to be preparing containers for I'm assuming Charlie and the other officers on tonight, and Esme looks like she's preparing pies.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Bella!" Esme greets and then hugs me.

"Happy Thanksgiving," I smile back.

"Oh don't look like you're in pain," Alice says to me. "Everything you don't eat is going to Charlie."

I raise my eyebrows with skepticism to Edward.

"I'm just going to grab Bella something to drink and take her upstairs to watch the parade," he says.

"Good, because Jazz and I are watching football down here," Emmett replies.

"Wait! Wait!" Esme calls running over to the refrigerator. She pulls out a glass pitcher that looks like its got cider in it.

"Did you _make_ that too?" I ask incredulously, though I should really know better.

"Oh, it didn't take long," she dismisses with a wave and pours me a very tall glass. "I hope everything tastes all right. We don't have any taste testers."

"I'm sure it will be perfect," I reply.

Edward takes my glass in one of his hand and my hand in his other. "Let's go."

Always my savior.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Sorry I didn't post this sooner! I had a pretty busy weekend without access to my laptop. It's also not as long as I would have like but sometimes, that's just where the chapter ends…**_

_**Thanks bunches to my awesome beta! I got the idea for most of the second chapter from him.**_

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17.

EPOV

"Bella," I say as she sits on my couch, curled up watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She looks up to where I'm standing before her and smiles. "The travel arrangements have been made for Italy." She loses her smile and a look of extreme trepidation replaces it.

I sit down next to her, determined to ease her creeping anxiety. "Everything's going to be fine," I assure her immediately. "We're not going to let anything happen to you."

"Please, Edward," she scoffs with a laugh. "Against the Volturi? I think we're a bit outnumbered. That's not something you can promise."

"I will do whatever it takes," I vow.

"I know you will," she whispers.

"We'll leave the day after Christmas. We're taking a private plane, so you don't need to worry about flying with strangers or anything like that."

"A private plane?" she asks. "Flown by whom?"

"Emmett will probably do it," I shrug.

"Emmett has a pilot's license?"

"And Rosalie, Jasper and myself," I confirm.

"What _can't_ you do?" she counters. Evidently, ensure that no harm will come to her in Italy. But I don't say that, I smirk instead. She shakes her head. I'm surprised anything still amazes her.

"We're all going to Europe, but we're not all going to Italy," I continue cautiously checking her reaction to every word I say. "You, myself, Carlisle and Esme are the only ones going to Volterra."

"Not Alice?" She looks confused.

"No. Carlisle will explain what you can expect from the Volturi and their guard, their names, their talents, things like that. He thought it best if we all didn't go. Believe me, everyone's unhappy about it." Especially Alice. He didn't want me to go either, but I flatly refused. I _had_ to go. The only way they would truly understand why I exposed what we were to Bella would be if I was there and they witnessed it themselves.

I cannot say for sure why Carlisle is insisting it be done this way. He's very careful to block his thoughts on this issue around me. I can only imagine it's to protect as many of us as he can. Surely the Volturi would be interested in recruiting Alice and Jasper, and I imagine myself. Perhaps he's hoping to show them if he brings Esme, he trusts them. It's not like him to keep me out this way. It's extremely frustrating.

"Well," she says slowly. "I trust Carlisle." Of course she does. She has always had unconditional trust in every single one of us and I have never seen this as a positive attribute of hers.

"I will _not_ fail you," I vow.

Her smile is light, but it reaches her eyes and her warmth washes over me. "You never could."

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BPOV

Edward has gone hunting with the others. He wants to hunt as much as he can before our trip. He says he needs to be as strong as absolutely possible. I am both comforted and terrified by this thought. Jasper has taken me home, but I was restless, so I asked him if he'd walk with me in the woods. I can tell he debated just calming me down all on his own, but I know that sometimes he feels guilty about manipulating me like that, so he agreed, telling me that we weren't going far.

I like walking in the woods, it's peaceful. I haven't gotten to do it too much in the recent weeks because of all the threats and Edward banned me, back when we met, from walking in the woods alone.

Jasper is quiet as we walk, intermittently shooting his arm out to catch me as I stumble.

"What if he doesn't like the way I turn out?" I blurt to Jasper. He doesn't seem surprised at my sudden start to the conversation.

"He will," he laughs in return.

"But what if he doesn't?"

"He loves you, Bella."

"But I could turn out very different."

"And he'll deal with it."

"But what if he can't?"

"Hasn't he explained this to you?"

"Yes."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"I'm worried I'll be something unforgivable like not a vegetarian. What if I like killing humans?"

"You won't," he laughs. He's all too entertained by me now.

"How do you know?" I press. "Isn't that the natural way? How can anyone be sure of that?"

"You're going to be like Esme," he says simply and I'm floored by his theory. Esme. Well, you can't turn out much better than that. He laughs at my open mouthed expression. I'm sure he can feel my surprise and skepticism. "You have a lot of compassion and a big heart, Bella. I think, of course, you'll feel the temptation, but even if you slip up in the beginning, and no one will blame you if you do, you'll come around." He has more confidence in me than I deserve I think. "He can't not love you, Bella. You're the only key that fits the lock. The lock on his heart and soul."

We walk along quietly again as I process what he said.

"Where is this anxiety over this coming from?" he asks. "Why do you have all this doubt?"

"It's never really made sense to me," I shrug. "I'm so ordinary. I can't do any of the things he can. He's so talented and smart and beautiful and I'm…just me."

"Why is anyone attracted to anyone else, Bella? You have qualities he loves. He overcame the urge to kill you for them."

I stumble again and he catches my elbow, but my other hand comes out in reflex to catch myself and scrapes against a sharp rock, breaking the skin. I wince against the sting and shake my hand a bit.

Then I remember exactly who I'm with.

When I look cautiously at Jasper, he's tense, still and growling menacingly.

And I'm all by myself.

I close my eyes slowly. I hope he makes it fast.

But when no attack comes, I open them again. His eyes are scanning the woods. He grabs my hand and yanks me behind him.

"Stay behind me," he hisses.

"What's going on?" I whisper, but his growls get deeper and more menacing. "Jasper?"

"She's here," he answers. His eyes fix in one direction.

"_Who_?" I question with dread, though I know the answer.

"Victoria."


	18. Chapter 18

_**I have a confession to make. I write in another fandom as well, and cliffhangers like the last chapter are sort of common for me. But I try to update very soon or post back to back when I do so the waiting's not too painful!**_

_**Thanks so much to everyone who reviews and adds me and the story to your lists. I really appreciate it!**_

_**Thanks bunches as always to my superbeta!**_

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18.

BPOV

Alice materializes from the woods. She scares the breath right out of me as she backs up against Jasper and sandwiches me in the middle.

"Nice of you to join us," Jasper mutters.

"Either this is going to end very badly, or I'm not the only one that's joining you," she replies. "And since I can still see Bella and Edward's wedding, I don't _think_ it's going to end badly."

"Good to know," he replies.

"What does _that_ mean?" I whisper harshly.

"Alice thinks the wolves are coming," Jasper replies.

"She's to the north," Alice says quietly.

"Yes, I see her," Jasper says. "She's high in a tree."

"Should we run Bella out of here?"

"No. I think we stay. There are two of us." Then he crinkles up his nose. "Ew, three."

"There's only one of them?" I ask.

"Yes," Alice confirms. "It's Jacob Black."

Jacob's here. Victoria's here somewhere in a tree and I'm bleeding. Because Jacob's here, Alice can't actually see what's going to happen, but I'm going to take comfort in the fact that she can still see mine and Edward's wedding, such as it will be.

A blur drops out of a tree and lands about 20 feet in front of Jasper. He growls and hisses menacingly. I still don't know where Jacob is, but apparently, Victoria doesn't seem too concerned about him.

Her hair and her eyes are the same blazing, crazed red, and locked on me, of course. She's tense and ready to fight. I'm sure she smells the blood oozing on my hand, but I stick it in my pocket anyway.

"You're outnumbered," Jasper hisses.

"I'm not concerned about the odds," her voice surprises me. I thought it would be more 'mean' sounding, but it's high pitched, almost like a child's. I think of Edward's soft velvety voice and the seductive power it could have over prey. Victoria's doesn't sound as enticing. "I don't need to fight either one of you. Turn the human over to me and everything will be fine."

"Not likely," he replies. "You'll have to get through all of us."

"Both of you?" she counters. "I've done it before." I can't say whether she's bluffing or not, but I tend to believe her. She ran with a deadly coven. But then again, the other two are dead because they tried to kill me.

"We're not alone," Jasper informs her.

Her laughter rings out through the woods; birds scatter from the trees in reaction. Jacob chooses then to bound into view. My eyes widen in pure astonishment. I don't think I really saw him in the clearing when Laurent came. He's massive and looks more terrifying on the high ground like he is, snarling, with his fur raised and baring his teeth ferociously. Jasper smirks to Victoria. She looks from Jacob back to us and back to Jacob again. She backs up a step. I can't say I blame her. Jacob does look horrifying.

She must know that she now has no chance at all in this situation. She looks decided on a course. She must be because Alice shifts positions and is now shoulder to shoulder with Jasper.

Victoria moves too quickly for me to see. In fact, a few things happen in that moment that are too quick for me to see. Jacob suddenly disappears from the rock and collides with Victoria mid-air.

She's not the only one.

A feral growl I've unfortunately heard before erupts from the path before us. There's a loud crack, the sound of stone hitting stone. Edward, Victoria and Jacob fall to the ground in a heap. Jasper and Alice back even closer to me and I can just make out the fight around Jasper's shoulder. That is if you could define it as a fight. Jacob has Victoria effortlessly pinned. She flails beneath him, but he doesn't appear to be struggling at all to hold her.

Edward stops her thrashing head with one hand. It looked like he leaned down and kissed her neck. But the gruesome tearing sound that followed was immediately confirmed when he stood up with her head in his hand.

I let out an involuntary gasp. His reaction to me is immediate. His black deadly eyes are locked on me. I've seen them like this before, the day we met. This is the way he never wanted me to see him, looking so deadly, so…_inhuman._

"Go, Jasper," Alice says, shoving me to him. "I'll light the fire." He throws me onto his back and takes off like hell is chasing him. Within minutes, I see the hospital come into view and he lets me down dragging me along behind him at a human pace, he says Carlisle's name as we approach the parking lot so that Carlisle is walking towards us when we cross through the automatic doors.

"Ah Bella," Carlisle smiles as Jasper grabs my injured hand by the wrist and thrusts it at him. "You do like to keep me busy, don't you?"

"She fell," Jasper says harshly.

"Of course," Carlisle grins. He leads me into a private exam room and closes the door. Jasper hovers in the corner. "You can go if you need to, Jasper."

"I'm okay," he replies.

Carlisle looks at him for a moment and I smile at him. "You're all grown up," I quip.

"Ha ha," he scoffs.

Carlisle chuckles again. "It's about time Bella got one in on you and Emmett." He turns my hand back and forth and I hear Jasper suck in his breath. I'm assuming he just decides it's best to hold his breath. "Let's get this cleaned out, shall we? It looks like it'll need to be stitched."

"Of course," I sigh.

"How exactly did it happen?"

Jasper's voice is too low for me to hear as he explains the events to Carlisle. I see the moment he gets to Victoria's part as Carlisle's attention snaps up from my hand, over to Jasper and then to me.

"The others are still there?" he asks.

"They were taking care of Victoria." Jasper nods once.

"Edward will be here soon then," Carlisle murmurs.

"He might need to…calm down," I say hesitantly. "He was…not in a good way."

"He wasn't in a good way the day you were almost crushed by the van, but he recovered to be here. He was in a terrible state the night of your birthday party, but again he recovered to be there for you. Don't get me started on the ballet studio and watching you get transfusions and the flu about sent him into hysteria," Carlisle says. "He will be here when he's finished."

The reminder of how many times my life has been in danger since meeting Edward is not all that much of a comfort, but I don't regret any of it.

It must be a relief to Carlisle to work on a patient at his speed because he makes incredibly fast work of cleaning, stitching and bandaging my hand. I couldn't imagine how many patients he could really see if he were allowed to work at his own pace.

Carlisle steps to the side as Edward bursts through the door looking frantic, but considerably better than he looked in the woods. His fingers wind into my hair as his eyes run quickly from the top of my head to the tips of my toes taking inventory.

"I didn't know how badly hurt you were," he breathes.

I hold up my new bandaged hand. "Typical." I smile, but the tension in him doesn't break.

"Jasper?" Edward asks and there's a pause, as I assume Jasper runs through the events in his head, Edward winces a bit at the end.

"Victoria?" Carlisle asks.

"Is not a problem anymore," Edward answers. He drops his eyes and his hands gently taking my injured one in between them, stroking lightly with a single finger.

"Jasper, why don't we go talk in my office," Carlisle suggests and they leave the room without another word.

Edward gently leans his forehead against mine and closes his eyes. "I'm so sorry you saw that."

"Don't be," I reply. "The world's a little safer for me now because of you."

"And Jacob Black it seems," he says dryly.

"I'm sorry you can't claim a single handed victory," I laugh.

His face goes serious, his eyes intense. "She'll never bother you again; I'll get past the disappointment."

"Almost there," I smile encouragingly and run my fingers into his hair.

"Bella, I am so tempted after that to change you now, tonight."

Well, this is a surprising turn of events. He must be extremely upset right now to suggest that.

"Well, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but you're right and we should wait until graduation. I won't be able to travel."

"It's a private plane," he counters, his desperation growing more apparent.

"I'll still encounter humans." I try to be as soothing as possible and not enable him in his offer, but I want to. I want to really badly. But I also don't want him to regret anything later. He will literally agonize for the rest of eternity given the opportunity. "And you're right, I can't just go missing. I need to be able to give my parents some sort of closure."

"As usual, you do the opposite of what I thought you would," he sighs, stepping back. "You _really_ freaked out Jasper."

"_I_ freaked out _him_?" I ask incredulously. "I thought he was going to eat me."

"He seems to have that well in hand," Edward replies. "At least as far as you're concerned." He takes my uninjured hand and leads me out of the exam room. "I'm sure Carlisle's got a few prescriptions for you to take now."

"Great," I sigh. He stops at the door, just over the threshold. He strokes my cheek and looks at me intensely; almost like he can't believe I'm standing in front of them. Then just as quickly, he drops his hand and takes me down the corridor to Carlisle.


	19. Chapter 19

_**After 19 chapters, I have yet to say that some of the lines are lifted directly from canon, but I'm sure you've picked those out already. **_

_**Thanks to everyone who reviews and adds me to their lists! I really appreciate it! **_

_**Thanks to my rockin' beta!**_

_**Happy Halloween!**_

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EPOV

One thing that has been painfully apparent since meeting Bella is that I was frozen in time as a 17 year old boy. Moods, thoughts, feelings, hormones have resurfaced since falling in love with her. I have gained so much more knowledge over the past 80 years that I admit I felt _older_ than 17, certainly wiser, definitely more mature.

That is not the case.

My petulance over Bella refusing to allow me to change her right away has been lingering since Thanksgiving. In three days, she could be much more durable. She would undoubtedly be less clumsy, which I have to confess I would miss, but it would be worth the trade not to constantly be worried about her blood being spilled around the wrong person.

I could take her to Isle Esme. No humans would be around to tempt her in those precarious early days. She would be free to be as crazed as she needs to, explore her new self and other things…

Bella is wearing blue today. A color that when presented against her beautiful, milky, porcelain skin makes me insane. It makes me want to drag her off into the closest janitor's closet and unleash the 17 year old boy, something I wouldn't be so paranoid about if she were changed. I'm given some respite though because it's a turtleneck, but it's the ribbed kind so it hugs her figure and the faded jeans she's wearing glide over her delicate curves…

I squeeze my eyes shut and look away from her screaming body where she's sitting next to me in the cafeteria talking animatedly to Eric Yorkie about the next essay they have due in American History. It's on how America got involved in World War One. I've been trying to distract myself during this lunch hour by writing it in my head.

But, as if this weren't tormenting enough, her hair is up and though her neck is covered, the delicious spot right under her ear is still exposed to me, calling my lips like a freaking megaphone. Her scent is washing over me in perfumed waves.

I lean forward on my elbows and put my head in my hands. She, of course, notices my distress and doesn't help me at all when she wraps her arms around my waist, drops her chin on my shoulder and whispers, "Hey, are you all right?" My whole cheek feels warm now and it travels down my chest to other places I won't talk about in mixed company.

"Tyler Crowley has Sweet Caroline stuck in his head," I murmur.

"Well, that's no fun!" she laughs.

I turn and look at her, her chocolate eyes wide and innocent. The simmering burn starts to stir. Her expression changes to curiosity before she frowns with concern.

Well, I can't have that.

"We have to get out of here," I say, quickly standing, gathering our stuff and pulling her out of the cafeteria. Everyone at the table is surprised…except Alice who laughs and promises in her head to make something up to cover for us. It seems we're not coming back this afternoon.

But really, what am I to do? I cannot very well have her needlessly worried about me. I have to set her mind at ease, don't I? Bella is the type that will just stew over something and will easily jump to the wrong conclusion. After all, _she's_ not a mind reader. This is for her own good. Really.

I stop at the school doors and literally put her coat on her. If she looked confused before, it's nothing compared to the expression on her face now. I even pull her hat on her head. I start the car with the remote start from the other side of the lot so it'll be warm that much faster for her. I can't have her suddenly getting chilled now.

"Are you going to explain this?" she demands as I tug her along. "Did Alice see something?'

"Yes, I am; and no, she didn't."

"Sweet Caroline isn't _that_ annoying of a song," she mutters as we finally get to car and I pull the passenger side door open.

I deposit her inside, buckle her seatbelt and move as fast as _humanly_ possible to the driver's side. She turns in her seat and looks at me expectantly as I tear out of the parking lot.

"Edward," she says firmly. "What. Is. Wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_, Bella." I use my most penetrating voice. Ugh, that was a bad choice of words. "I'm just…" How should I put this without sounding like some kind of pervert? "…feeling a little amped up right now and I really don't think it was a good idea to stay there."

"Amped up?" she repeats. Now she sounds a little alarmed.

"Not like that," I mutter.

I slam to a stop in front of her house. Good. It's not Charlie's day off. That would be problematic.

"Well then like how?" she demands. She's so incredibly adorable when she's annoyed.

I slide my hand to the back of her head and pull her towards me, crushing my lips against hers in answer. I feel a modicum of relief as some of this overpowering and sudden need is fulfilled, but not all that much.

"Oh," she says when she pauses for a breath.

She was already opening the car door when I instantly materialize on her side. She looks pointedly at the houses surrounding hers to remind me of the fact that she's got neighbors and I should watch my actions.

Whatever.

My superhuman speed is benefiting both of us right now as I've got the front door open for her when she arrives at it. She kicks up her speed a little bit though when she pushes the door shut and pulls off her coat and hat, which leaves her hair in a very attractive mess.

I grab her and run her upstairs to her bedroom, depositing us both on the bed.

_Be gentle._ It's like a mantra playing over and over in my head. Who knew one person could make me this…excited? Well, everyone else in my family did, that's who. I remove her shirt and mine follows suit. As I kiss my way around her chest, she hooks her leg over my hip and slips her fingers under the waist of my pants.

_Be gentle_.

But she tastes so sweet. Everywhere. The fire builds and somewhere in the back of my hazy mind, I remember that this isn't the way I wanted it. This isn't the way _she_ wanted it. She deserves better than a hormone crazed romp in the afternoon. She deserves it to be like her vision.

I sit back abruptly on my knees and she looks up at me in surprise; her chest heaving, her heart racing, not helping me at all.

"Don't you dare," she threatens. "You made me skip the whole second half of the day!"

"I want it to be perfect for you."

"It IS!" she says quickly and starts tugging on my wrist to bring me back.

"You wanted candlelight and roses and a big bed."

"I want _you_. Sometimes things work out differently."

I shake my head to emphasize my point, and convince myself, "It _will_ be perfect for you, Bella, and you'll be my wife."

"You have an annoying amount of morals for a member of the eternally damned," she grumbles, reaching for her shirt.

"Whoa," I say gently staying her hand. "I didn't say we couldn't do _anything._"

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	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Thanks so much to everyone who reviews! I really appreciate it. And thanks to everyone who adds me to their lists; that feels cool too!**_

_**I don't think I told my beta this, but this chapter was kinda for him, my virtual brother. Wished we lived closer so I could **_**REALLY **_**show you what it's like to have a sister! LOL!**_

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EPOV

"Edward," Rosalie corners me as I am coming down the stairs to leave to pick up Bella for school. "I need to talk to you for a moment."

"I have to go get Bella," I say dismissively. I don't have the time or patience for Rosalie theatrics this morning.

"It will just take a second and if takes longer, I'll ride with you," she insists, stepping in front of me. I stop with a sigh and an eye roll, prepared for her to put me in a bad mood for the morning.

"_God, have a little faith."_ I arch an interested eyebrow at her. Her tone is frustrated, but her eyes are determined, almost pleading. She's blocking her thoughts until she's ready to voice them.

"I think you should help me talk Carlisle into going with you to Volterra," she blurts out. I blink in surprised reaction. I know everyone else is upset over not being able to go. Emmett, Jasper and Alice all think that their various talents would be useful against the Volturi, but Rosalie…well, Rosalie doesn't really _do_ anything. Sure, she's a whiz of an engineer and she's more determined and loyal than pretty much anyone I've ever met, and if we hunted humans, her beauty would be great bait, but she doesn't really have anything that would be that useful against the Volturi.

"Why?" I ask simply, walking past her out the front door and heading to the car. She's hot on my heels.

"I can give added weight to your argument."

"How?"

"_God, Edward, think about it. Why do you think I brought Emmett home? How do you think I made it?"_

I stop right in my tracks and look at her, stunned by her memory of the intensity of Emmett's blood the day she found him, watching with clarity her internal struggle over finishing him off herself and saving him out of instant love.

"_I_ know better than anyone else in the family what you feel for Bella. I know first hand the temptation she was to you when you met. I know how hard it was for you to resist her, and for you to still resist her. Yes, first and foremost I was afraid of exposure and what it would mean. But I was also afraid of what it would do to you if you killed her. Just because I don't like you, doesn't mean I don't love you, Edward. I could not show the restraint you have. I damned Emmett to this life. He's made it more bearable for me, that's for sure."

"Rosalie, you _hate_ Bella," I remind her as my irritation for the way she's treated Bella in the past surfaces.

"I don't _hate_ her, Edward. I didn't, and still don't, want you and Bella to be another me and Emmett. Emmett just rolls with everything. He's so laid back about everything, and so is Bella. I was selfish and he shouldn't have paid this price because he had the misfortune to cross my path. But I couldn't let him die either. I know what Bella dying will do to you, and so if I can lend more credence to your argument to the Volturi, then I want to be there to do it."

Wow.

"That's my argument," she says, gesturing for me to get in my car.

"It's a good one," I nod.

"Will you help me with Carlisle?"

"I'll think about it," I say. "I'm sure Carlisle has his reasons, Rosalie, whatever they are."

"You'll think of something," she says with a smirk. Sisters.

"Thanks." I smile in return from behind the wheel of my car.

"_Don't think we're going to bond now or anything."_

"No," I say with a laugh. "I'd never think that." She tosses another smirk at me before she bounds back into the house.

I think about the things she said as I zip along towards Forks. I must admit that I'm impressed she was able to keep that from me all these years. I'd only ever asked Jasper, Carlisle, and Emmett if they'd ever smelled a human's blood as tempting as Bella's is to me. I had never even thought to ask Rosalie. I knew she'd seen something in Emmett when she found him in the forest dying from the bear attack, and I knew it must have been a difficult journey home for her, but I hadn't realized his scent had that kind of impact on her.

I can understand now why she wanted Carlisle to change him, why she didn't trust herself not to kill him. Before the ballet studio, I was afraid of the same thing with Bella. In fact, I still am. There is a part of me that is still terrified that I'll be overtaken by the frenzy created as soon as I taste her blood.

Thankfully, with the amount of time Bella will be unconscious, my eyes will have returned to their normal color. They took on an almost pumpkin hue after the ballet studio from the small amount of her blood I had taken in. I was appalled when I saw them. Alice had to give me contacts to wear to hide their unnatural color from hospital staff and Bella's parents.

I can't think of any added benefit to having Rosalie in Volterra. She made a passionate enough argument, but Emmett did get transformed. She found him dying. It was a different situation and I am pretty sure Carlisle will forbid it anyway.

I run through the things Carlisle has told me about the Volturi for the hundredth time since Jane's visit, searching for anything that will be useful in our visit. I think about each of their talents and their guards' talents. We won't stand a chance if they determine a need to kill us. All it would really take is Jane.

I am relying on Marcus. Marcus can see relationships and I am hedging my bets that he conveys the strength of ours to Aro. According to Carlisle, Aro seems to be the final say. Carlisle has fond memories of his time with the Volturi. Aro has a great deal of respect for Carlisle and it's that respect that has kept us from being slaughtered immediately. The Volturi have only two laws and there's a zero tolerance limit for them both.

Esme leaves for home when I arrive at Bella's. She was here less than an hour, watching over Bella for the brief period when I leave in the morning to change clothes. Bella is, of course, running late. As I pull up to her house and walk to her front door, I can hear her running around the house. I follow the sound of her heartbeat from room to room and shake my head as I hear her trip on the stairs. I hear her move to the living room now and knock on the door. It flies open quickly.

I step to her and wrap my arms around her waist, burying my face in the crook of her neck and inhaling deeply, letting her scent flow over me and burn down my throat. Believe it or not, I'll miss it when she's changed. There's a lot I will miss when she's changed, but I'm much too selfish to give up spending eternity with her for those things to be an issue. I have a flawless memory of them that will suffice.

"I'm almost ready." She smiles.

"I don't give you enough time in the morning it seems," I say following her into the kitchen where she moves to the counter to butter her bagel. "I think I need to start leaving earlier, but then again, I think you need your sleep, as well. You stay up much too late talking to me."

"If you don't think I haven't thought about where to stash you clothes here so you don't have to leave at all, you're crazy." She points her dull knife at me in emphasis.

"Rushing around frantically in the morning is no way to start the day." I frown.

She puts the knife down and walks over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her lips to mine. Excitement instantly threatens to engulf me again. "That's not how I start my day," she whispers.

The kiss gets deeper and she presses her body against mine. "It's going to be a short school day again," I say against her lips. This time it's _her_ that pulls away. I don't like how that feels one bit.

"Some of us are going through high school for the first time here, Edward. I won't be going to the mailbox over Christmas break if I fail my midterms."

"I'm not going to let you fail your midterms, love; I'll tell you what's on them."

"That would be cheating." She glares at me and pulls her coat on before picking up her bagel and I graciously swing her backpack over my shoulder for her. See? I can be a gentleman. In fact, I'm _usually_ a gentleman!

"It's not cheating," I reply. "It's utilizing your available resources."

"Interesting way of looking at it," she mutters.

As we leave the house, Alice is standing at the foot of the front steps looking incredibly annoyed.

"Gee, Edward, thanks for waiting," she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oops."

"_Clearly I'm the better choice to go to Volterra with you. I don't care _what_ Rosalie thinks."_

"Not you, too," I sigh. "It's Carlisle you have to convince, not me." Personally, I want us all there. At least we have a shred of a chance. Really, if I could just have Jasper, I think he might cancel out Alec at least.

"Convince Carlisle of what?" Bella asks.

"I'll tell you later," I dodge and she gives me her look. Loosely translated it means, 'you absolutely will tell me everything later.'

Sisters.


	21. Chapter 21

_**Shout outs to my beta, who's birthday was Friday! Sorry the wait was a little longer for this chapter. I got a plot bunny in my head for a new story, started kicking it around with my beta and we got totally distracted. Anyhoo…**_

_**Thanks for the reviews! They keep me going!**_

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EPOV

"Uh-oh," Alice says as we pull up to Bella's house before school.

"What?" I ask immediately as my cell phone rings and it's Jasper. He was watching Bella's house while I went home and got Alice.

"Listen, it's real important you don't blow a gasket on Bella right now," he says in greeting. As if I ever would…

"What's going on?" I demand of my brother and sister in a threatening voice, not that either one of them probably feels threatened by it.

"Bella tried to get out of it; she really did," Jasper says again. "And it's probably okay, given the recent events."

If they're trying not to make me anxious right now, it isn't working.

The front door opens and Bella emerges. I smile when I see her. She actually looks ready this morning, if not experiencing some sort of dread. I'm out of the car and opening the passenger side door for her before she's even down the front steps. She smiles nervously as she reaches me. I can't hear Jasper's thoughts through the phone and Alice isn't revealing much. Charlie's cruiser is gone. He usually leaves in between the time I leave and get back.

I pull her into a hug, trying to give her whatever reassurance I can to help her summon the courage to tell me whatever it is she has to. I kiss her on the forehead and stroke her cheek with my thumb. "Just spit it out, whatever it is," I say.

"You might want to get in the car first, just in case you have an unpleasant reaction," she mutters.

"I highly doubt it," I chuckle.

"You've said yourself sometimes you have trouble controlling your temper."

"Not with you, love; never with you."

"Just…get in the car anyway," she pleads. I sigh and roll my eyes, waiting until she's buckled in to close the passenger door, but I hear her talking to Alice anyway. "Did you tell him?"

"No."

"Did Jasper?"

"No."

"_Nobody's_ softened the blow?" she looks incredulous when I slide behind the wheel again.

"I'm in the car," I needlessly announce.

"Charlie's making me go to a Christmas party Friday night at the Blacks' house. I tried to get out of it, I really did. He said Billy's been asking for me and we haven't seen them in a while and if I want to go to Aspen over Christmas I have to do this."

Okay, I'm not happy about that.

"I tried to come up with different excuses, Edward, I really did, but Charlie wouldn't hear any of them. He went on and on about how he missed Thanksgiving with me and he's going to miss Christmas and I haven't been here for Christmas in over a decade and he's been so excited to do something like this with me. I didn't know what to say!"

"He's your father, Bella; there's nothing to say but yes," I force out turning to face forward. He guilted her. There's no way any of that would not have gotten her hook, line, and sinker.

"Well, that had to be painful," Alice mutters in the back seat. I shoot her a glare.

"You're okay with it?" she asks cautiously.

"Not even a little bit."

Alice laughs in the back seat. I don't know how she can find this amusing. None of us can go to La Push. I will have absolutely no way of knowing if she's okay until she reemerges from the forbidden territory across the treaty line. Alice can't even see it.

I drive through town faster than I normally do when she's in the car. Despite the fact that I'm in a new car, it's still easily recognizable by everyone in town. I hardly think anyone is going to give the Chief of Police's daughter's boyfriend too much trouble. Plus, Carlisle is highly respected.

"_You might want to control your speed pulling into the school parking lot,"_ Alice warns. _"Humans aren't known to have quick reflexes…as you know."_

I give her a less than amused smirk in the rear view mirror and let my foot off the gas. Bella is still eyeing me curiously. I don't like that she was nervous about telling me anything, but on the other hand, it's hard to control my reaction to something like that.

I _suppose_ one could argue that he deserves some kind of gratitude from Bella and myself for his assistance on Thanksgiving. However, I am relatively certain that Jacob would use that situation to further his argument against us.

I slam to a stop in my usual spot in the parking lot. Tyler and Eric jump back. When I get out of the car, I slam my door shut and Bella's already opening hers and stepping out of the car. I hate having to move at a human pace.

"Is that the Guardian?" Tyler whispers to Eric.

"The what?" Eric replies confused.

"The Guardian. It's what diplomats use in the Middle East. You can shoot a rocket at it and it'll barely scratch the paint."

"It can't be. What would Cullen need that for _here_?" Eric replies. Bella arches an eyebrow at me. Damn Tyler Crowley!

Alice dances along next to us as I head into the school and Bella is silent next to me. This is probably not the best of places for me right now. Not that I fear for anyone's safety right now, but sometimes you just want to be pissed off and not have to talk to anybody.

Alice peels away from us for her first class and Bella stops at her locker. "I wish you'd talk to me," she whispers. "I hate when you're mad at me."

"You think I'm mad at _you_?" I ask incredulously. How can she think I'm ever mad at her? If it wasn't for me, she never would have been exposed to werewolves.

"I tried, Edward, I did," she says earnestly. "I guess if it wasn't for Italy, I could have come up with a better excuse, but I'm just so afraid that I'll never see Charlie again that I want to spend as much time with him as I can. I really don't think I'll be in any danger in La Push…"

"It's not that I fear for your safety, Bella. I think its plain you'd be safe enough from harm in Jacob's presence."

"Then what exactly is it?" she shakes her head in confusion.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I also don't want her to think I mad at _her_. "It's…well, he has a crush on you; he thinks he's in love with you."

"So?" she counters.

I look over her shoulder and focus on the chips in the paint of her locker. I shrug and push her hair gently off her shoulder, exposing her graceful, pale neck.

"You're _jealous_?" her eyes pop out of her head and her jaw drops open.

I don't think it's so surprising. She's a very beautiful girl. Most of the boys in school want to date her…among other things I really wish I'd never seen in their fantasies. Jacob is human, mostly, and can give her things I can't. And on top of that, he can also protect her. She can still have all her human experiences. I know that she loves me. But what if Jacob is able to really impress upon her all the things she'd be giving up by staying with me? Then what do I do? I could let her go, probably, but I could never leave her, which means I'd sentence myself to a lifetime of absolute misery followed by a self-inflicted death when she finally died herself.

"Edward!" she laughs, a bright, brilliant, melodic laugh that makes me look at her with adoring puppy dog eyes despite the fact that she's laughing at _me_. She slides her hand up to my neck, leans up and presses her warm lips to mine. The singeing heat shoots through my mouth and down my throat. When she pulls away, she smiles at me. Bella's smile can light me on fire.

"Jacob is sweet, but he's like a cousin to me. His feelings, whatever they are, are misplaced. There is _no one_ else for me, but you. I could never love anyone else the way I love you. Ever."

"But the things you'd miss with me, you wouldn't miss with him."

"And I've told you before, if I couldn't have them with you then I didn't want them at all. _You_ never have anything to be jealous of." I frown as she stresses the word 'you.' As opposed to what? _Her_ having to be jealous? I think having been by myself for a century until she came along proves there's no one else out there for me. Maybe once she's changed, she will finally see herself clearly.

* * *

BPOV

"This is great, Bells!" Charlie says putting his arm around my shoulders as we walk up to the Blacks' front door. "It's nice doing things like this as a family." I don't know if he's intending to make me feel guilty, but he is. "It's nice to be able to show off _my_ kid for a change."

"Yeah." I smile for his benefit. I'm very nervous. I haven't had the same cheerful encounters with the La Push residents that Charlie has. I saw Sam and the other wolves through the living room window, all present and accounted for. My plan is to just stick by Charlie. He is, after all, armed.

Edward was not the easiest to reassure earlier in my bedroom as I was preparing to leave. He looked almost anguished. I know he followed Charlie's cruiser to the treaty line, which I'm willing to bet he's sitting at right now. But he is not completely blind tonight. In my pocket is a shiny new cell phone loaded with all the Cullens' numbers and wonderful features…such as GPS capability and my favorite, the child locator feature. As long as it's on, he knows where I am. It's actually comforting.

Jacob crushes me in a welcoming hug as I cross the threshold; Charlie's fatherly enough to pull me away under the guise of removing my coat.

"I'm glad you came!" Jacob smiles. "Do you want to come hang out with us?" He gestures to where the rest of the pack is hovering in the living room with their various girlfriends or dates. So many of them in one small space, looking as huge as they are, and throwing off the heat that they are is making the living room a little stifling.

I look up at Charlie, who's eyeing the crowd up with some trepidation. "Thanks, Jacob," I decline politely. "But I think I'm just going to head into the kitchen with my dad and get something to drink. It's a little warm in here."

"Oh, well, I'll come with you then," he replies. Charlie tosses me a look as I loop my arm through his. Stick to Charlie's side like glue, that's the plan. Jacob or the other wolves can't say anything if Charlie's around.

Charlie leads me into the kitchen and Jacob chatters aimlessly at my side. This plan works flawlessly until Charlie needs to use the bathroom and I realize that this was what Jacob was waiting for.

"You're avoiding me," Jacob accuses as soon as Charlie is out of earshot.

"I'm not _avoiding _you, Jacob," I reply.

"What do you think is going to happen to you? _Here_? Will all of us around?" he counters.

"It's not that anyone thinks I'll be harmed here," I say and scan the room to see if Charlie has reemerged.

"What do they think then?" he asks and I shrug. He draws his own conclusion. "They think _I'm_ going to do something to you?"

"Well, Jacob, it's not like you haven't tried to _make your point_ before," I counter.

"Charlie made his opinion on that quite clear," Jacob mutters.

"What about _my_ opinion?" I ask icily.

"I'm still not sure it's not clouded."

"You're still not sure I can think for myself?" I reply. "Nice, Jacob. Way to sweep a girl off her feet." I spin away intending on just waiting in the hallway for Charlie if I have to, but I see him being drawn into a conversation with Sue Clearwater.

"Wait, Bella," he says quickly, grabbing my arm and spinning me back around to him. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to make it sound like that. They have mind tricks and they don't--"

I laugh out loud and he looks confused. I can't help it. Of all arguments for Jacob to try to use. "That's true, Jacob, and Edward in particular does. But it doesn't actually work on me. Thank you for your help with Victoria. Your timing was impeccable. I could always use more friends, Jacob, but not if they're going to constantly call me stupid."

I cross the room to my father, who looks a little concerned. I don't know how much, if any, of that he heard. "I'm ready to go. I can have Edward meet me half way if you'd like to come back."

"Are you all right?" he asks, glaring over my shoulder looking at Jacob.

"Yeah, I'm just tired," I lie, which I suppose isn't a complete lie. I _am_ tired of this. I'm tired of constantly having to defend myself, I'm tired of constantly having to be in danger and look over my shoulder, I'm tired of having to make up excuses and lie to my parents, I'm tired of having to repeatedly tell people I hardly know why I love who I love. I'm tired of having other people call the shots in my life.

"Did he do something again?" Charlie asks sternly.

"No, dad," I reply.

Charlie gives Jacob his 'I have a gun and know how to use it' glare and then looks back to me. "All right. Well, I do kind of want to come back, but I'll bring you home."

"It's okay, dad," I say quickly. "I can call Edward and he can meet us half way." Which happens to be the treaty line.

"All right, Bells," he says, grabbing my coat from the hook by the door. Jacob looks displeased. I can feel their stares boring into me. Charlie may feel comfortable here, but I don't.

* * *


	22. Chapter 22

_**Thank you so much for the reviews! I really appreciate it. I've passed around all beta compliments, as well. **_

_**We're getting down to the wire here, folks, the big moments are coming. I promise!**_

* * *

EPOV

"Welcome aboard Cullen Airways with non-stop service to Las Vegas. Our estimated flight time is two hours and 20 minutes," Emmett greets as we board the jet at dusk.

Even Emmett's goofiness, which usually always brings a smile to Bella's face, succeeds in a very slight lip twitch.

"What if I tried a Price is Right thing?" Emmett asks with a frown.

"I think I'm a little nervous," Bella says in a shaky voice.

"How can you be nervous with Jasper here?" Emmett counters.

"She's _that_ nervous," Jasper says. He's loaded down like a pack mule with suitcases.

"What is all this?" Emmett asks Jasper gesturing to his body full of luggage.

"I couldn't decide what Bella is going to wear," Alice shrugs.

"How many options did you bring?"

"She's getting married; she needs to look perfect," Rosalie growls behind Alice at Emmett. He immediately puts his hands up in surrender. After having married Rosalie numerous times, I think Emmett's learned not to go up against her on things like this.

Bella's jaw drops as she turns away from Emmett and takes in the plane with its plush white couches, oversized leather chairs, large bathroom, tables and even a kitchen.

"What are you _doing_ with this?" she asks in amazement.

"We don't own it," I reply. "We're renting it for this trip."

She nods and heads to the back of the plane and sits down on the couch. I sit next to her, and the others stay towards the front. Bella has been a little withdrawn since the party at the Blacks' house. Jasper says its just nerves, but I can hear his thoughts and he's concerned its something more. When I ask Bella to talk to me, she assures me its just nerves, as well. I can't very well insist that Jasper _thinks_ its something more based on what he _feels_ from her. How much of an invasion of privacy is she really expected to tolerate?

Rosalie sits up front with Emmett and the others settle into various seats with various activities. Bella takes a deep breath as the engine powers up.

"Are you nervous about flying?" I ask.

"No, not really." She says shaking her head.

"Is there _anything_ I can do?"

"You're doing it," she smiles and leans her head on my shoulder.

Emmett's voice comes over the speaker. He's having too much fun with this plane.

"We're number four for take off. The current temperature in Las Vegas is 58 degrees, party cloudy with light winds out of the northwest. We ask that you do not attempt to join the mile high club until we reach our cruising altitude of 50,000 feet. If you're seated in an exit row and have any questions about your responsibilities in the event of an emergency, please ask our flight crew and do not attempt to practice an evacuation on your own. Due to the dinner hour of this flight, there will be meal and beverage service for our human passenger. Cullen Airways does not believe the use of electronic devices will flummox the aircraft, so you should feel free to liberally use anything you've brought aboard."

That elicits a small chuckle from Bella. As the plane begins to taxi, I wrap my arms around her and kiss her forehead. We're in the air in no time. Esme pops up and moves to the kitchen, intent on getting Bella something to eat. I have a feeling Bella is too anxious to eat, but she'll want to appease Esme. Everyone wants to feel like they're doing _something._ Esme has decided to keep the meal light.

Bella sighs and looks at me. "You have to eat something; you need to keep your strength up."

"Who am I going to fend off?" she replies with a sarcastic chuckle.

"Nobody, that's my job," I reply. My voice sounds more tense than I intended, but she cannot seriously think she's going to have to fight anybody, can she? If a single hair on her head is harmed, it will most certainly be over my dead body…and probably Carlisle's and Esme's too. Her eyes are wide on mine, searching for something. I take a moment to calm down a bit before I speak again. "We're going to be crossing time zones and your sleep cycle is going to be out of synch. I know how stubborn you get when you're trying to stay awake with me."

"It's called caffeine, Edward."

"Which you have a low tolerance for," I counter.

"Well, I'm just going to have to suffer through it this time, aren't I?" she snaps.

Okay, who is this alien and what have they done with my Bella?

I arch an eyebrow at her as I try to figure out why she's suddenly coming unglued. Tears fill up in her eyes and she lets out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry." She whispers.

Everyone pretends not to have heard her, but the thoughts of surprise are ricocheting around the inside of my head. It is very unlike her to be short tempered with me.

"It's completely understandable."

"It's not your fault."

"Well, yes, it mostly is," I counter.

"I have a lot of tension built up," she says waving around her hands.

"_No freaking kidding."_ Jasper glances over at us; the atmosphere calms a bit.

"Try to relax the best you can, love. I swear I'll take care of you."

* * *

JASPER'S POV

I knock on the door of the other suite we rented at Bellagio in Las Vegas.

"Enter if you're not Edward," Rosalie says from behind the closed door.

I find Bella pacing the length of the living room and Alice following fluidly along behind her curling her hair. Bella is currently barefoot, but I can see the torture contraptions Alice is going to force on her feet off to the side.

The last time I saw Bella look so girly was the prom. She's in an ice blue satin dress and her skin shimmers a bit. Her hair is pulled up on the sides and coming down her back in large curls.

"Bella, you look beautiful," I say.

She stops and lets out a long breath. Nervousness, fear, happiness, despair and I'm surprised to say a tad bit of anger, roll towards me from her.

"Ladies, would you mind if I spoke with Bella for a few minutes?" I request. "Edward could probably use a few words of encouragement from you, Alice."

"Is he all right?" Bella asks immediately concerned.

"He's fine." I smile back. He's completely melting down over her actually, but nothing good can come of her knowing that right now.

Alice nods and leaves the room with Rosalie. I remain on the other side of the room, giving Bella her space.

"What's up?" she asks.

"Well," I reply and sit down on the couch, hoping to make her feel more comfortable. "since I already know how you're feeling, I thought you might need someone to talk to about it?"

Her eyes widen a little bit at me and her eyes tear up.

"Did Edward send you?" she demands.

"No," I laugh. "I came on my own. But you know I can't guarantee he's not in my head right now."

She feels a little apprehensive, and I can't blame her. Edward's frantic over her right now. He's afraid she's getting cold feet; that she's mad at him; that she's only doing this because it might be the only way to save all of our lives now; any and every reason that has nothing to do with love. He's never thought that he deserved her.

She shakes her head and looks down at her twisted up hands. "It's not like I thought it would be, Jasper," she whispers. Uh-oh. "I never thought I could feel this…strongly, I guess, about anyone or anything. I can't even say that what I feel is love because it just feels so much more powerful and overwhelming than that. In Phoenix, I always felt like a misfit, like I didn't belong and that's because I belong _here_, with him. But I wasn't prepared for everything that's come with it.

"To have people fighting over me, about me, dictating whether I live or die, and _how_ I live or die. I can't really wrap my head around that. All I want, Jasper, is to be with him. That's all I want. Somewhere far away if that's the way it has to be. I don't want all of this attention. I don't want to walk into a den of deadly vampires knowing that the people I love could likely be killed because of me. Because I moved to Washington and complicated their lives.

"I know you all _say_ that things aren't harder since you've met me, but come on, I'm not an idiot."

"It's not like Edward and I haven't caused trouble," I counter.

"You've caused that trouble because of me though."

Okay, so she has a point there.

"When Edward changes me, if we get that chance, we'll all have to leave Forks because it will have broken the treaty. I don't want to be the reason a war starts. I want to join the family, Jasper, any way that Edward wants me to, but I don't want to be the cause of all these problems. Maybe I should go to Volterra on my own and you all should get as far away from me as you can."

"_Edward, if you're listening to this, _do not _come bursting through the door right now!"_

"Nobody wants to do that, Bella. And it doesn't matter anyway. We exposed ourselves; we still have to answer to the Volturi for it."

"And I'm not going to be the slightest bit useful in that regard either," she continues. "I'm the weak link. I can't defend anybody, I can't fight for anybody. I can't do _anything--_"

"Hold on, Bella," I interrupt. "You're doing this. It's no insignificant thing. Just because you can't fight the Volturi with strength, doesn't mean you're not doing your part." She's thoughtful now; she hasn't thought of it that way. "_You_ are saving us from the possibility of having to actually fight the Volturi, of one of us getting hurt or killed. And has it occurred to you that the reason you feel so comfortable with us is because we feel the same way? We're all misfits in our world. You were human when you met Edward; we can't change that fact. But when the time is right, and not before, you'll be changed. It doesn't matter how you come into this family, Bella, the point is that we've all found each other. Edward's been waiting for you all of his life; and you're here."

She's calmer now. I'm impressed that I was able to calm her down with words and not with having to employ my talent.

"You _are_ the weak link right now, Bella, and that's just the way it is at the moment. But just as you would offer yourself up to the Volturi alone to save us, we would all likewise fight and die for you, for _each other_. That's what being a family is about. I know you're frustrated, and with good reason. A lot of this _can't_ make sense to you right now, but it will when you're changed. I promise."

She takes a deep breath and lets it out, then gifts me with a large smile.

"Thanks, Jasper," she says. "You're a great brother."

"When I'm not trying to kill you," I reply standing up.

"Isn't that what brothers and sisters are supposed to do?"

"Maybe not so literally."

She laughs and then looks over to the area where her shoes are. "I'm going to break my neck in those."

"Carlisle will fix you."

"Carlisle _always_ has to fix me." Her smile falters a bit and she looks almost wistful.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, it's just—I'm getting married today and my father's not here to give me away."

"I'm sorry about that. But I'm sure Alice will throw you a huge wedding later on to make up for it. Emmett and Rosalie get married all the time. He'll get the chance to walk you down the aisle."

"I suppose," she says, biting her bottom lip then she blushes a bit. I'm much less affected by it than I was when we met. Not that I still don't feel the burn at the back of my throat, but I don't feel the _need_ I once did. "Jasper, would _you_ give me away?"

She's embarrassed to have asked, but I feel humbled. I hold out my hand to her and bow low over it, like the Southern gentleman that still I am deep down, as I expose that side of me that she's wondered about.

"It would be my great honor."


	23. Chapter 23

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Thanks to my beta! Thanks for helping me work out all my crazy ideas and not so grammatically correct sentences (kinda like that one!) I'm glad you were around this morning to help me figure out Volterra!**_

_**Dum, dum, dum, dum…Sheesh, I thought I'd never get to this point! Has it really been 23 chapters??**_

* * *

EPOV

Where. Is. Jasper?

I understand he's serving the greater good with Bella right now. I'd much rather she benefit from his talent than me, but I am also a selfish creature. I could use a little calming down myself. I am quite literally going to explode out of my skin right now.

Bella doesn't think I'm selfish, but I am. I plucked her right out of the human world without _really_ caring if it was the best thing for her, didn't I? I talked myself right into the fact that I was what she needed; used my predator's charms on her because I _had_ to have her.

I'm a terrible person and she's marrying me now against her better judgment. And she's going to hate me for it. Maybe not right away, but you'll see. When she's damned to this life, she'll hate me for it. Of course, she'll probably hate me for it the second she steps foot in Volterra. It's all right. I'll still die for her. It's the least I can do.

My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my love.

I didn't make that up or anything.

Jasper's head pops around the corner of the doorway. _"Dude. Calm. Down. Don't tell me you didn't hear everything that she said upstairs. I know you better than that." _

I did. I'm a shameful person. I have been so anxious over her. I had to make sure that she was all right. And admittedly, I'm obsessed with her so I usually don't pass up the opportunity to watch her from someone else's eyes.

The music starts and Carlisle and Emmett stand next to me. Esme emerges first, a chestnut Snow White. She smiles brilliantly at me. _"I don't care what brought about this night, Edward, I couldn't be more happy for you."_

Rosalie is next to emerge, looking flawless as always. _"I do love what those high heeled shoes do to those legs,"_ Emmett fawns over her.

Alice storms down the aisle looking stunning in the same champagne colored dress as Rosalie and Esme. Boy, is she ticked off. She comes to a halt a few feet from my left and huffs.

Then my love appears in the doorway on Jasper's arm. All my nervousness drains away and there is only her. Perfect, magnificent, and giving me a blinding smile. The pure wattage of it could light up the Main Strip. She is the sole source of light in the world. She will never hate me; she is not capable of hate.

"What?" Rosalie demands with an outraged shriek and I frown. "Where are her shoes?"

"Ask Jasper," Alice huffs and crosses her arms, managing not to damage the bouquet of flowers in her hands at all.In Alice's mind, I see Bella kicking the shoes off her feet just outside the door at Jasper's kind encouragement. Bella looks victorious. "You're breaking my heart," Alice says to her dramatically. "You looked so perfect before. And now you look so…so…"

"Unfinished," Rosalie provides.

"Yes!" Alice agrees.

"Girls," Esme warns. They fall defiantly silent.

Jasper releases Bella's hand to mine. He's surprised when she turns and kisses him on the cheek.

I cannot keep my eyes off hers. They are brimming with tears and they sparkle with a thousand stars.

I lean over and place a soft kiss on her jaw, just under her ear and then whisper, "One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun never saw her match since first the world begun."

"Thank you." She blushes.

"I didn't make it up," I reply.

"I know," she laughs. She knows Romeo and Juliet backward and forward.

I keep my lips close to her ear and continue, "You are the most amazing, beautiful, loving, soulful creature I have ever met. I will work every day for the rest of my existence to make you happy."

Well, that did it. The tears spill over and she loses the carefully maintained control she was clinging too.

Emmett leans over my shoulder. "You forgot appetizing." Bella laughs at him and I glare at him with a low growl. "What?" he asks innocently. "You did."

The Justice of the Peace clears his throat. They are, after all, on a schedule here; there's a line outside.

"I think we've got an extra minute or two," Jasper says to the officiating Justice, the ladies smile adoringly at him. He'll be well compensated, I'm sure. The poor man just smiles and nods. He's got a lot to smile about right now, since he's just fallen in love three times over.

Bella squeezes my hand with another smile. "I'm ready," she says with a nod. I know she means more than just for the ceremony to begin.

* * *

BPOV

"You know, we _have_ some time here." Emmett says as we move quickly across the tarmac towards the plane. "We can go back to the hotel, you newlyweds can have a little time…"

"Shut up, Emmett," I mutter.

"I'm on _your_ side in this, Bella," he says. "I have no problem killing time with Alice down in the casinos while you two crazy kids celebrate."

Alice in a Vegas casino. Would the casino even be able to pay out those kinds of losses?

Edward quickly pulls me up the stairs. Before I'm even buckled in, Alice and Esme are pouring over the pictures in Alice's digital camera. I was so happy when Jasper put his foot down over my ridiculous shoes. I don't envy him Alice's ire later when they're alone, but that's his problem.

All I know, is when I emerged in the chapel doorway and saw Edward, nothing else mattered anymore. Not potential impending doom; not being on my father's arm; not even a pack of wolves who were just waiting for a reason to fight. Nothing. Nothing mattered but Edward, and the fact that we were taking our first step towards ensuring we'd always be together.

Suddenly, I was calm and collected and it had nothing to do with Jasper. I wasn't afraid because Edward was right. If we did die, it would be bound together by something the Volturi couldn't break.

I also knew that I hadn't yet begun to see what Edward was _truly_ capable of. I only saw a tiny glimpse with Victoria. I wasn't so naïve as to believe that he alone could defeat the Volturi, but I knew I had a better chance than most humans would have in a situation like this.

He wraps his arms around me as the engines roar to life and kisses his way up and down my neck. "Mrs. Cullen," he whispers. An odd and unexpected shiver shoots down my spine. I'm pleasantly surprised to discover I _like_ the sound of that. My parents would kill me if they ever found out, but I like that now, by the laws of the great State of Nevada, he's mine. All mine.

I'm blissfully happy and surprisingly, actually tired as I see that we're flying into the sunrise.

* * *

EPOV

Bella sleeps the entire length of the country, wrapped in a blanket and curled up against my side. It's strange that despite the undetermined dangers that await us in Europe, I have never felt this content in my entire existence. This amazing, beautiful, joyful and yes, appetizing, woman belongs to me. Willingly. She has placed her love and trust in my cold, hard hands and in return I have pledged to her my utter devotion.

I am surprisingly optimistic about Volterra. I don't know if that's from this little bubble of happiness that's engulfing me right now or some kind of sign, but it's a wonderful feeling. The others don't seem to be worried right now either.

Emmett's basking in the glory of flying, Rosalie is critiquing his technique; Carlisle is scrutinizing a potential investment property on the internet, Esme's smiling at Bella and I and thinking many proud motherly things; Alice and Jasper are still arguing over the practicality of Bella's shoes.

I dip my head down and kiss her forehead. She cuddles further into me in response. These moments will be a happy memory come June. She won't be this vulnerable again. I can live with that.

This family is officially complete today. I never knew I was looking for anything more, waiting for anything more, until Bella burst into my life, turning it completely upside down, or actually, I think she turned it right side up. I have direction, I have hope, I have a purpose. Yet, it's more than that.

Bella adjusts her position. Her head falls into my lap and her hand slides across my thigh. Desire washes over me at the intimacy of it. I realize now that I'm not totally complete and neither is she. She wants a proper wedding night and though I'm still not sure how it came to be that I agreed to such a dangerous thing while she's still human, I assumed it would be after our visit to Volterra.

Now I am in a bit of a quandary though. What if we don't survive our meeting with the Volturi? Would I deny her that experience? It's impossible to deny her anything. Would I deny myself that experience?

But it's more than even that. Because it's not just about her or me anymore; it's about _us_. And so the real question is, would I deny us that? And the answer is no.

Alice smiles knowingly at me. _"I'm telling you, Edward, you'll love it."_ She's discreet enough to be something of a lady and not show me the inevitable visions that would have followed my decision. As a sister, she can be pretty embarrassing.

But she's also a fierce protector of her family. And an invaluable asset. They all are. A family our size is extremely rare in our world. In fact, with the exception of the Volturi, I think we're the largest coven -- we've certainly never heard of a larger one – committed to our lifestyle and each other. So committed that when others would simply go their separate ways, these particular people are going into the Lion's Den to protect that which they're naturally inclined to kill.

The pieces fall into place as I look over at Carlisle, our father. He's afraid to bring this kind of talent to the Volturi. Marcus will immediately see our bond and Chelsea has the power to break it. But really, all it takes it Alec and Jane; hell's twins. I don't see how we would beat them.

It's not that Carlisle is afraid of us fighting, he's afraid of exposing our various talents to the Volturi. We've always been free to come and go as we pleased. Nobody is forced to stay. Carlisle has fond memories of his time with the Volturi, but _that_ life was not conducive to his beliefs and theories, and it's not conducive to any of ours. We all stay with Carlisle because we share his beliefs. I have lived the life of a predatory thug; I didn't like it.

Since I have fell in love with Bella, each member of my family has told her, on more than one occasion, that they would fight to the death to protect her, that was what being family was about.

But they're being denied that now. They are being denied the opportunity to stand with their family and defend them and our way of life. Our strength is in our bond. A house divided cannot truly stand.

As we begin our descent into New York to refuel, Bella rolls onto her back and opens her eyes, looking up at me in silence. There is no other way, but to stand together.

Alice looks over at me. _"Well done, Edward. It will work."_


	24. Chapter 24

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Thanks everyone for your reviews and adding me to your lists! I really appreciate it.**_

_**Confession time: I've written far dirtier and smuttier stuff than this, but I had all sorts of issues writing it for these two because of the whole age issue, which is kinda an issue and kinda not…what can I say? I'm a mom. So special thanks (as always) to my beta who talked me through my mild meltdown so I could churn out something that didn't a) make me want to take a shower afterward (and not in a good way); and b) get me landed on some watch list for creepy people.**_

_**Next stop is Volterra…**_

* * *

BPOV

I am not permitted to attend the 'Cullen Council of War' as Emmett has named the meeting of the minds. They are afraid I'll go into hysterics over it. They're probably right. In a surprising turn of events, Edward convinced Carlisle that everyone should go to Volterra and stand as a family. Of course, as soon as he opened his mouth, the others jumped all over it. All except Esme, who was the sole family member who came down on Carlisle's side of the debate.

So, they're off hunting somewhere in the Tuscan countryside and discussing strategy and I'm stuck at the hotel allegedly going to sleep. There is _no way_ I'm going to be able to sleep. First of all, the adrenalin is racing through my veins; secondly, my sleep cycle is out of whack, just like Edward said it would be. Edward though assures me that Carlisle has provided sleep aids for me and that I _will_ take them.

I yank the brush through my hair in frustration. The amount of hairspray Alice and Rosalie put in it could have made its own hole in the ozone. I likewise scrub my face clean of the makeup. I will admit that I was impressed with the vision of me they had created, but it's likewise time for it to go. It's just not me. I'm just not that pretty.

It's nice to finally brush my teeth too. I feel like I haven't brushed them in days. I contemplate pulling a sweatshirt on over my tank top. It is winter, but Edward said he'd start a fire and I've got on flannel pajama pants.

I pull the bathroom door open as I finish my nighttime routine. In another few months, Edward won't have to put up with these trivial little human routines. I wonder if he's looking forward to that.

I stop and draw my breath in surprise as I see that while I've been in the bathroom, Edward's been busy in here. There is a fire blazing in the fireplace, casting a light glow over the large four-poster bed, which is overflowing with white down covers and rose petals. Candles cover nearly every available flat surface.

Edward is leaning against the window frame, hands in his pockets and his shirt unbuttoned, exposing his magnificently sculpted chest. He pushes himself away and advances on me slowly. I feel like it takes forever for him to get over to me.

"Do I take it from your lack of speech that this is a pleasant surprise?" he asks quietly. Still speechless, all I can do is nod.

"What changed your mind?" I ask.

"I wasn't willing to wait anymore," he replies sliding his fingers up my neck and along my cheek. "Was I being too presumptuous?"

"No," I blurt quickly and shake my head just as fast.

We stand there looking at each other; I'm sure both wondering what the other is thinking…and what the hell we're supposed to _do_ in this situation.

My hands are shaking as I lift them up and slide them along his perfectly chiseled chest. I lean forward and place a kiss at the base of his neck. He closes his eyes and drops his head back, so I continue my current charted cross. Moving ever so slowly all around his neck, over his chest and back again.

I know he's fearful of unexpected reactions on his part. I know he can hear the loud drumming of my heart, which I'm sure is making my blood pump faster. His hands come to my waist and slip under my shirt, his thumbs gently running back and forth over my bare skin, then they slide slowly up my back. I barely notice him remove my shirt as I'm too entranced by his hands on my bare breasts. I push his shirt off his shoulders; fair is fair, after all.

He sweeps me off my feet and lays me gently on the bed. He kisses me everywhere, taking his time. Each new spot on my body he introduces his lips to feels like it can crackle with lightning. His muscles are tense under my fingertips. The restraint this calls for on his part is unfathomable to me, but he kisses each one of my throbbing pulse points.

My heartbeat gets faster and faster. "Shh…love," he whispers. "Calm down."

"I can't."

I take a deep breath, mustering the strength from somewhere. I mean, if _he_ can control himself, I should be able to manage, too. Except I feel like I'm spiraling out of control, like I'm going to burst into a million pieces.

He holds onto me tighter than he normally does, but his ice cold skin dulls any pain I might feel from it.

I glide my hands along his shoulders as he makes love to me. I can feel him hold himself back, keep something of himself back that's too deadly for me to see now. I can't allow myself to think about that now. I can't think at all; I can only feel. More than I've ever felt in my life, more than the day he first smiled at me, more than the day I realized I loved him, more than the first time he kissed me. More. He's always pushed me to feel more and right now I feel like the most beautiful woman alive.

Pure exhilaration starts to spread through my body, starting at my very core and rolling out to the tips of my fingers and toes, a frenzy of sensation buried deep within is unleashed. He's there, with his arms around me. He kisses my shoulder and strokes my hair. His lips against my neck are the last thing I feel before slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

I stretch long and happily as I slowly swim to consciousness, the down mattress and blanket are delightfully encompassing me. I feel like I'm on a cloud. I smile and roll to my side. When I open my eyes, I'm face to face with…

Alice.

What!? Tell me I dreamed all that and I'll throw myself right into the sea.

"Hi!" she greets. Her smile screams 'I know what _you_ did last night.'

"Uh…hi," I say. "Where's Edward?"

"Hunting. He was trying to hold out to be here when you woke up, but he said you had several false alarms and well, he seemed a little…excited."

Oh. Now I feel deflated.

And achy.

I move to sit up and realize I'm still naked. "Oh!" I gasp and a blush enflames my skin. Alice laughs at me. "I don't suppose you could hand me some clothes." This is mortifying.

She tosses me my tank top and flannel pants and I disappear under the covers to hastily put them on. Every muscle in my body protests the movement. I guess between the time change, traveling and, er, _other_ activities, it's catching up to me.

When I reemerge, I push my matted hair from my face and scowl at her as she laughs at me. She tosses me a sweatshirt as well and I yank it over my head and gingerly get out of the bed and head to the bathroom.

I look like a train wreck, but I feel elated. I open the door back up as I brush my teeth. Alice wanders in and turns on the water in the bathtub, liberally dumping bubbles in. A bath sounds amazing right now. She's idly chatting about the things she and Jasper have gone to see while I've been sleeping. Apparently, I've been sleeping for quite a while.

"When do we go to Volterra?" I ask as if I'm just merely interested.

"Tonight," she says, then she smiles. "Edward's back."

I walk back into the bedroom and Alice waves and leave. Edward's standing in the corner studying me intently. He looks a little angry. I wonder what happened? It doesn't matter to me right now though. I close the distance between us quickly and throw myself at him.

His arms entwine around me and he buries his face in my neck. "Bella," he whispers, his voice sounding as agonized as his eyes look. He's hesitant to return my kiss. Curious. He'll tell me what's wrong eventually. Try as he might, his secrets always come out. I pull my sweatshirt back over my head and run back to shut the water off. The old claw-foot tub looks so inviting right now. I can feel the heat from the water. Sheer heaven.

Well, almost.

Edward appears in the doorway, hands in his pockets.

"You're not going to join me?" I smile, pulling my clothes off.

He closes his eyes, drops his chin and shakes his head. "No."

I frown; maybe he's afraid of turning the water cold too fast before the warmth has a chance to work its affects on my sore muscles.

"You'll at least stay in here, right?"

"I don't think I have that kind of restraint."

"I don't mind if you don't show restraint." I laugh.

"_I do!_" he hisses.

"Edward, what's wrong? Did I do something you didn't like?"

"No, I did."

"What did you do?"

"Bella, look at you!" He gestures at my body and it's the first time I see the bruises up and down my arms and legs. Oh.

I shrug it off. "It's not like I haven't been bruised before."

"Not by me," he insists savagely. That's hard to argue with.

"I know you're upset, but it was really bound to happen."

"What?" his voice is low and astonished.

"You're stronger than me and I bruise easily. Remember when my wrist bruised when Jasper grabbed it? He hardly used any pressure at all."

There's a low growl deep inside his chest. This conversation is not going well.

"We're not doing that again until you're changed." He's unilaterally decided.

"Uh-uh." I insist shaking my head and removing the rest of my clothes. He immediately looks at the ceiling, averting temptation I suppose. "I'm not agreeing to that."

"This is proof positive that I could kill you."

"Believe me, I'm alive. In fact, I've never felt more alive in my life."

Ah! I see it! A lip twitch. He feels it too.

I decide I can argue just as effectively from the bathtub and immerse myself in the warm water. I'm a little embarrassed when a moan escapes my lips. Edward squints his eyes shut and pinches the bridge of his nose. "That's not helping, Bella."

"You can look now," I say dryly. When he does, I smile what I hope is coyly and rescue my hair before it gets wet. I clip it to the top of my head. I probably look ridiculous, but he's seen me look far worse. Besides, he's my husband now. If I can't look ridiculous around him, then what's the point?

His expression is pained and he turns to leave the small bathroom. I can't allow that. I can't allow any distance between us. Not now.

"Edward." My voice catches, betraying the anxious feeling building inside me. He moves to my side so quickly I didn't even see him. "Did I disappoint you? Did you not feel any of the wonderful things I did?"

"And then some, love." He whispers, stroking my cheek. "But we're almost there and I can't lose you now. I won't. I am not going to mess it all up now because I did something stupid."

He kisses me so softly, it nearly breaks my heart. I clutch his shirt, drenching it in the process, but he pulls away and gives me a crooked smile I know well. We're back to the drawing board. Unfortunately for him though, now I know what I'm missing.


	25. Chapter 25

_**You've been waiting very nicely…**_

* * *

BPOV

I try to control my trembling as Edward leads me out of the Villa to where the others are waiting. There are two cars in front of us. One is a canary yellow Porsche 911 turbo; the other is a sleek black Ferrari. Even if I wasn't as incredibly nervous and anxious as I am, I probably wouldn't be surprised or impressed.

"Good evening, Demetri," Carlisle suddenly says. A black cloaked, young looking man emerges from the shadows. He has shoulder length, dark hair and an olive like complexion under his chalky pallor. Edward pulls me behind him. Jasper and Emmett move to either side of us.

"Carlisle," Demetri nods.

"I'm not surprised to see you here."

"I'm merely here to lead to the way," Demetri replies smoothly. He sounds sickeningly polite. His red eyes fall on me. "The human."

"Yes, this is Bella," Carlisle smiles like we're meeting under some kind of pleasant social circumstances.

"I thought for a minute you didn't bring her."

Carlisle looks over at Edward and Edward looks at Demetri warily.

"Of course we did," Carlisle replies pleasantly. "Aro asked to meet her."

"Yes…" Demetri is regarding me curiously. It's unnerving. I suppose I'd better get used to that. I imagine that is going to happen quite a bit in Volterra. Demetri looks back to Carlisle. "Felix and I are here to show you the way."

"I once called Volterra home," Carlisle reminds him politely. "I remember the way clearly."

"Nevertheless…"

"We're happy to have you along."

It's then that I notice that there's a dark colored Suburban in front of the Ferrari. Headlights come on behind the Porsche where I assume this Felix is, but I can't tell what kind of car it is in the blinding light.

"The human can ride with you and I, Carlisle," Demetri offers with a wide, predatory grin.

"Not a chance," Edward's answer is immediate and vicious. Demetri laughs and shrugs, disappearing into the Suburban. Edward doesn't budge an inch until Carlisle squeezes his shoulder.

"I'll drive," Carlisle says to him. "You sit in the back with Bella."

"We're right behind you," Emmett says from behind Edward and I.

"We're still all right," Alice assures us. I take great comfort in the presence of all of them. I'm even almost relieved. Edward looks like he's considering grabbing me and bolting. It's not a bad idea.

"You know this is our chance to take those two out, right?" Jasper murmurs.

"That's not why we're here," Carlisle says. Jasper's idea has merit. If they don't have their tracker, couldn't we disappear?

I certainly hope we don't regret Carlisle's decision.

* * *

EPOV

Nothing about Volterra surprises me. It looks just like Carlisle's memories of it. As we walk through the stone corridors, I find it hard to believe the Carlisle _I_ know ever lived here. If I hadn't seen it for myself in his thoughts, I never would have imagined he'd live in such a dark place.

Bella was surprised by the human in the 'reception' area. I wasn't expecting her either, but I smelled her before we got inside. She was surprised to see so many of us walk through the door with Felix and Demetri, but she carefully schooled her expression into one of indifferent professionalism. She wondered what all the hype was about over this particular human. After all, _she_ couldn't see anything special.

Both Felix and Demetri have mostly occupied their thoughts trying to determine ways to be the one to kill Bella. They've both determined, separate from the other, that the only way to resolve this is an all out annihilation of our family. Their biggest concern seems to be Emmett.

Watching all the scenarios they're envisioning, each one ending with Bella's lifeless body, is pushing me dangerously close to the edge. I've seen that twice in Alice's visions. It's not something I'm easily able to stomach. It's also magnified by the fact that Bella's heartbeat is reverberating off the stone walls. It may be that it seems so loud to me because that particular sound is so significant to me, but her presence is driving Felix and Demetri wild.

If Emmett were walking any closer to Bella, he'd be carrying her. _"I can take Felix, you know."_ I don't acknowledge his thought. I'm hoping we don't have to find out. Bella's teeth are chattering. We're moving under the city. It's cold and there are no lights here either. It's not the most ideal conditions for a human, which is, after all, the point.

Carlisle leads the way into the main chamber. It's actually brightly lit in here. Aro is waiting for us flanked by Alec, Jane and Renata. Marcus and Caius are not here, but Aro immediately sends for them.

"Carlisle, old friend!" Aro calls out with a smile, his arms opened wide.

"Aro, it's been too long," Carlisle replies. "This is my wife, Esme."

Esme smiles beautifully at Aro. "It's very nice to finally meet you."

"And I you," Aro replies. "I'm so happy my good friend Carlisle has found such happiness in his life. He is a person very much deserving of it. Please, old friend, introduce me to your family."

Carlisle introduces us in pairs and saves Bella and I for last.

"And this is Edward and Bella."

Aro's eyes fall on Bella, his thoughts curious, but so far not aggressive. "Yes, there you are," he murmurs locking his gaze with hers. I squeeze Bella's hand as tight as I dare as her trembling intensifies. _"She does smell more appealing than others. And they've all come with her, so no doubt there is _something_ very special about her."_

Aro extends his hand to Carlisle. "Carlisle, bring me up to date." Carlisle steps forward and locks his hand with Aro's. Aro bows his head over their hands, eyes closed, carefully scrutinizing every thought Carlisle has ever had.

Here we go.

Aro raises his head and looks at me curiously. _"You can't _hear_ her?"_ He chooses to communicate with me telepathically, no doubt having just discovered my talent from Carlisle.

"No," I confirm simply.

"Incredible," He breathes. _"I wonder what else she is immune to."_

"I haven't subjected her to scientific testing," I reply tersely.

"And I actually did not mean for you to answer that question," Aro replies.

"Welcome to our world," Rosalie mutters.

"Yes," Aro agrees with her as the rest of the Volturi and their guards enter the chamber. "I can see where his gift is both a blessing and a curse…for some."

He's trying to block his thoughts, but I can still see some. He's tempted by Alice, Jasper and I, particularly Alice. She's not going to get out of here without him taking a look into her head.

Marcus glides straight for Aro and Aro locks hands with Marcus for a moment. Marcus sees relationships. He is surprised by the strength of the bond between the members of my family and particularly between Bella and I.

"Yes," Aro agrees. "It is most curious."

Aro turns his attention back to me and holds up his hand. "Would you mind?" he asks politely out loud. _"And I highly recommend you do."_ "I'd like to see her attraction first hand, so to speak."

He obviously isn't going to come to me and I will be damned, no pun intended, if I bring her one step closer to them. Alice moves to my side and wraps her arm around Bella. Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper follow her cue and circle in closer to Bella so I can step forward to Aro.

"_Such protectiveness of a human."_

I don't take my eyes off Aro as I approach him. Bella's heart rate increases. Her involuntary human reactions do not make things any easier right now as every vampire in the room other than my family, and there are quite a few, grows a little more excited. Jasper diffuses the atmosphere a bit, but quite frankly, I really do not know how long he can he can control this many people. I suppose we're about to find out.

I stop just within Aro's reach and hold my hand up.

* * *

BPOV

The anticipation is maddening. I don't know what to expect. Though Carlisle was as thorough as possible in his descriptions to me, I do not have the same insight as the others. I know Aro is going to read Edward's thoughts. All of them. Surprisingly, I'm most mortified that he'll see last night. It's bad enough everyone else knows what we did, I don't particularly appreciate Aro being able to _see_ it.

Alice's arm tightens a bit around me. Felix is eyeing me up again. I can't decide if I feel like a horse he wants to buy or steak he wants to eat. Probably the steak.

I can just see Aro and Edward from between Emmett and Jasper's shoulders. I'm both terrified and humiliated that all this production is caused over me. My conversation with Jasper the other night put to rest a lot of my concerns, but anyone would be a little irked that their new family might be completely wiped out solely because she fell in love.

I hold my breath when Aro's and Edward's hands connect. I sincerely hope the rest of the Cullens block all their thoughts right now, if they can.

Time creeps by. My heart pounds loudly in my ears, and I assume everyone else's. I can feel things calming down a bit as Jasper's talent gets a work out.

Finally, after I feel I've aged a decade, Aro lifts his head and stares at Edward astounded. Edward pulls his hand away.

"That was _amazing,_" Aro says. "How on Earth do you resist her like that? To have her blood call to you so strongly and then --"

"Waste it?" Edward asks dryly. "It's not easy."

"No. I could see that it's not."

"I trust all your questions have been answered." Carlisle says.

"Yes, old friend," Aro murmurs. "A most unique situation." Aro seems to be contemplating something, something Edward doesn't seem to like given the way his face is hardening. "However, it raises other questions."

"For instance?"

"Just what is Bella immune to?" Aro asks, studying me again. "Bring her forward." I look frantically from Edward to Carlisle. Edward looks unhappy, but Carlisle nods once to the others.

Alice walks me forward and Edward immediately takes her place beside me. Aro looks to Edward and raises his hand.

"That's up to her, isn't it?" Edward says to an unspoken question of Aro's.

"Yes, you're absolutely right," Aro laughs and then looks back to me. "Bella, I apologize, but I'm curious. Edward and I have similar talents, and I was wondering whether or not you were likewise immune to me?"

I was scared to touch him and yet fascinated by the idea. He looked so much more _delicate_ than the others. He looked so much older and didn't seem as strong as them. His skin was almost translucent and I was busting with curiosity whether or not it felt as smooth as it looked.

Since it seemed like I didn't have a choice, I nodded and slowly raised my hand.

"I mean you no harm," Aro smiled before his skin made contact with mine.

I waited for something to happen. Anything. I figured Aro and his talent must be more powerful than Edward's and I'd feel something or hear something or see something. One of my senses would acknowledge the fact that this mythical creature was invading my mind.

But nothing did.

Aro drew his hand away and looked both intrigued and a little angry. Edward pulled me back to him.

"It's incredible," Aro said. "Such a potential talent here. I can see why you want her so much. But I wonder…"

"No," Edward growls.

"Jane."

Aro's guards move closer to him as Edward's snarls grow more audible.

"Oh come now," Aro says to Edward smoothly. "If I'm right no harm will be done."

Jane turns to me; she looks very determined. Edward jumps in front of me and then crumples to the floor. His face is pinched in pain…agony actually. He's cringing and thrashing wildly. "Edward!" I yell and drop to my knees next to him, desperate to somehow stop this pain, but powerless against it, since I can't _see_ anything hurting him.

"Stop it!" I shout and desperately lunge for Jane. This triggers a very quick series of events.

Alice grabs me around the waist as Felix pounces for me, but Rosalie steps in his path and he takes her down to the floor. Emmett in turn roars, grabs Felix by the collar and throws him across the room. Felix slams into a pillar and falls to the floor. Absolute silence, other than my thick breathing, permeates the room.

Jane's eyes widen and I brace myself for her wrath. Someone must pay for this and I'm assuming it will be me.

But again, nothing happens. Jane looks frustrated and her eyes get more deadly, more maniacal.

Felix turns on Emmett, but Aro stops him with a gesture. "Well now," he says. "Things seem to have gotten a little out of hand."


	26. Chapter 26

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews! In case you're **_**thinking**_** of reviewing but then thinking "Oh, the writers never write back, I actually DO!"**_

_**My beta really got to stretch his legs with this one and really helped me out with Caius because, well, Caius really sucked before my beta got to this. Thank you, Rick, you're the best! **_

* * *

BPOV

Emmett looks like he's itching to finish Felix off. After that display, I have no doubt he could.

"Jane." Caius speaks for the first time and inclines his head in Emmett's direction. Jane smiles sadistically, excited to use her ghastly little talent again on someone it actually _works_ on.

"No!" I yell again and jump into her line of sight. Edward pounces on me and his arms surround me like a cage. Tensions ease a bit. I can't believe Carlisle didn't want to bring Jasper! I shudder to think what it would have been like if he _hadn't_ been here.

"No, no. Jane dear," Aro counters. "I think the situation is best handled diplomatically at the moment." Jane looks completely disappointed. "I apologize for how aggressive things have gotten, Carlisle."

"It is regrettable," Carlisle nods. "But passions do tend to run high when my family feels threatened."

"We don't mean anyone harm," Aro replies.

"Aro, this is a black and white issue," Caius interjects with a hiss, as he finally makes his presence felt, and just incidentally proves that some of them do mean us harm. "She's human. There are no exceptions or excuses. The rules are the rules."

"But I still think the situation is unique," Aro replies. "Do you not see the potential here?"

"No, I see laws broken," Caius snarls back. "I see precedent being set." He certainly wanted us dead.

"Dear brother, Bella seems to be immune to any known talents that affect the mind and she's _human_. Do you not want to see how she turns out after she's changed? And the others, just think of how they would enrich our family if they were to one day join us." The _others_ in question don't look interested in that particular offer. "Surely if Bella came to join us, Edward would come along?"

I hope that I'm not imagining the unspoken admonishment I hear in Aro's words. One that read, "If we kill the girl, we'll have to kill them all, you bloodthirsty fool!"

Aro looks covetously at Edward and I. "That would be up to her," Edward growls. "But I don't think she's in a position to make that kind of decision right now." I remind myself to assure him at my first opportunity that I will never decide to do that. Carlisle has _fond_ memories of this place? That seems impossible to me.

"Aro…" Caius begins again, sounding petulant, only to have Aro override him.

"I think there is much we can learn from dear Carlisle's family right now. Edward actually _married_ Bella, while she is human. That is quite a commitment on his part, is it not?"

"I'm afraid I don't see it your way," says Caius in a snide tone.

No, of course he doesn't…what with me standing here breathing and looking delicious. I press my face into Edward's chest just as Alice gasps.

* * *

EPOV

Aro understands immediately what Alice's sharp intake of air means. My family turns instantly to her in reaction, except for Bella, who assumes it's the worst and buries her face in my chest.

The need to experience one of Alice's visions is too great for Aro to resist. Since I'm closer than Alice, he moves to my side like lightning, touching my hand where it is clutching Bella.

The tension in the chamber is thick and everyone is silent as Alice's vision plays out and runs like a movie through my mind and filtered directly to Aro.

Alice sees a battle between our family and the Volturi, today, launched by Caius only moments from now right here in this chamber. I cannot help but wince as I watch the fighting play out. Jasper's talent suppresses Alec by confusing him long enough for Jasper to kill him. Emmett kills Felix and moves on to Demetri; Alice and I are invincible because we can see all of our opponents' moves before they make them, Jane dies first before the mind-witch can disable anyone, followed by Caius. Rosalie and Esme are severely injured defending Bella, but I cannot tell the extent of the damage.

But in response to the harm to Esme, Carlisle kills Aro.

Carlisle has never killed anybody in his long life and Aro knows it.

Aro pulls his hand away from me like he was burned. He cannot hide his horrified reaction and he studies Carlisle, looking for any sign in his mannerisms and demeanor that Alice's vision might actually come to pass.

"Of course," Alice says aloud in a monotone voice that I can't recall ever having heard from her before. "I have been known to be wrong." Her expression and her tone of voice are almost chilling.

"What did she see?" Carlisle asks curiously and Aro is disturbed just by the sound of Carlisle's patient and gentle voice, but he is composed again. However, Alice's vision has hit its mark and Aro knows that anything that would drive Carlisle to kill another person would be a life altering event for Carlisle.

"Well?" Caius demands. "What did she see?"

"My brothers," Aro says slowly, now regarding Alice closely. "I think we should trust our dear friend Carlisle's judgment."

"Aro --" Caius immediately protests.

"He has assured us that Bella will be changed after her graduation from school. That is when it can be done without arousing too much suspicion, which you can agree is the preferable way. Bella joins her _husband_ by choice, a situation I don't recall ever being faced with before."

Except for Gianna in the lobby, but why break straws now.

"What is the date?" Caius hisses at Carlisle.

"It's the timing that's been decided. The specific date hasn't been set yet." Carlisle replies. _"What on Earth did Alice see?"_

"I suggest you schedule it and advise us immediately when it is. We'll have somebody there to bear witness," Caius dictates harshly; Aro does not argue with the edict. "We do not give second chances. I would strongly recommend that you do not take this one for granted," he ends in a frustrated tone. Yes, he was definitely eager to kill us all.

* * *

BPOV

We are free to go.

It feels too good to be true, but we're being escorted back through the corridors the way we came in, only this time Felix stayed behind and Jane is with Demetri. The protective circle of my new family is just as tight as it was on the way in. Edward's arm is secure around me and his eyes never leave Alice, who is in front of us.

Nobody says a word as we walk through the lobby, right past the human girl and outside to the cars.

When I am safe in the back seat of the Ferrari within Edward's embrace, I totally and completely lose it. My sobs are deep, my breath is nearly hyperventilating, tears are streaming down my face and I'm shaking uncontrollably.

"Bella, Bella, love, calm down. You're safe. It's over," Edward croons in my ear, stroking my hair and kissing my forehead. "Bella, please. Carlisle."

"It's the tension breaking, Edward," Carlisle says from the driver's seat. "Let it run its course. Dawn is about to break and Bella has been awake for almost 24 hours now."

I clutch him as hard as I can, desperately trying to rein in these spiraling emotions. I need to be alert; I need to be on the ball. What if we're being followed? Oh God, what if we're being followed!? They could have sent Demetri to follow us and take us out when our guard is down. Nothing's over. I'm not safe at all. _We're_ not safe. We'll never be safe as long as I'm human.

"Bella, love, please. Take deep breaths." Edward's previously soothing voice is growing more frantic and my unspooling mind knows somewhere deep inside itself to listen to him and to do as he asks, but physically it doesn't seem to be possible.

He pulls me across his lap and holds me tightly. The sobs turn to hiccups, the tears slowly stop and my eyes are dried open and fixed absently on the back of Esme's seat. Every now and then, I take in a deep, raspy breath.

"Bella, sweetheart," Esme says from the front seat. "We're almost back at the Villa. Please try to calm down, honey."

That's easier said than done. I have no idea how long the ride back takes, how long I sit here in a near catatonic state, frightened and unable to speak. I want to. I want to assure them that I'm all right. I want to reassure Edward that I won't ever pick for us to join the Volturi, but my mouth won't open and my eyes won't move from their fixed position.

"Love, please say something, squeeze my hand, do something," Edward pleads. I can't muster up the energy for that. "Carlisle, I don't like this. She's not responding to anything."

"It's shock, Edward," Carlisle says, his voice sounds distant. "That was very traumatic for her, and she stood up to it longer and more bravely than any human should be expected to. She needs time to process it all, a little patience, please."

Edward is not the most patient person when it comes to matters of my health and wellbeing. His voice gets further and further away. It echoes in my mind like a dream and I feel like I'm trying to swim through mud. Finally, I give up and let the darkness have me.


	27. Chapter 27

_**To my American readers, have a safe and happy holiday weekend!**_

* * *

EPOV

Bella sleeps like the dead, splayed across me as I sit holding her as close as possible on the bed in our room at the Villa. Alice is waiting with me for Bella to wake up. She's been asleep for nearly 12 hours now, but Alice assures me we're in the home stretch now and she will be mostly herself when she wakes up soon. She hasn't stirred, hasn't been restless, and hasn't said a word while she's been asleep, very un-Bella-like.

"I wanted to ask you something, Alice," I say softly, stroking Bella's hair while she sleeps. I press a kiss against her forehead before looking over at Alice where she sits in a chair beside the bed. Alice smiles softly in return. "Your vision in Volterra."

"What about it?"

"Well, it didn't seem like the others I've seen in your thoughts in the past. It seemed – I don't know – different somehow."

"What do you mean?"

"Your visions are usually a little hazier to me, and you appear to be more zoned out. This one, it was crystal clear and more deliberate somehow. You seemed much more sure of it than you usually are."

"_Oh, really? I'll have to work on that in the future."_

"Work on it?" I question frowning. "I don't understand."

"_No? Try and reason through it, Edward. You're intelligent."_

"I am not quite following…wait a minute."

"Here it comes," she laughs playfully.

"You didn't make that up, did you?" She shrugs and my eyes practically pop out of my head in surprise. "That's impossible."

"It's obviously not," she insists. "Aro could only see my thoughts then through you. If I was careful to only focus on the 'vision' at the time and not think about my plan, you'd only see the vision. "All I had to do was keep my focus."

"And hope to hell Aro didn't touch you." I hiss.

"Aro didn't think he had time to get to me; he was too afraid he'd miss it, wasn't he?" she glares at me pointedly. "I took a chance."

"You certainly did. Does Jasper know?"

"_No. It's _our_ secret. I'm not thrilled that _you_ know."_

But really, there's no way she could keep it from me indefinitely. I'm glad she showed such discipline earlier. Had she slipped the slightest bit, we'd all be dead right now. She had the thought so quickly and acted on it immediately, and at the time, I was so engrossed in Caius and Aro's warring thoughts.

"I must say I was pretty surprised by Carlisle in your vision."

"As was Aro."

"You have a lot of faith in us."

"I do."

"And creativity."

"I do what needs to be done," she quips. "It isn't always pretty."

"No," I chuckle. "That certainly wasn't." But then I turn serious again. "You know now you can never let Aro touch you, right? He'll know you lied. You can't ever be around him again."

"Neither can you."

"And I will be very happy to endeavor to ensure that," I reply.

"You know, I don't think Demetri can track Bella," Alice says thoughtfully.

"No," I agree. "I don't think so either. He seemed very frustrated when he discovered she was with us."

"That will be helpful in the future," Alice noted.

"He can find _me,_" I remind her.

"And when he finds you, it would be two against one," Alice says. I snap my eyes to her. She means Bella and I. "After she's changed, Edward, you will have to teach her how to fight."

I tightened my arms around Bella and sink a bit into the bed. "She won't need to fight if I'm around."

"And if you're not around her?" Alice counters. "I know you don't want to think of Bella having to fight," No. I don't. At all. "But if she's going to live for eternity, she'll probably have to fight one day. You'd keep her unable to defend herself properly?"

I don't answer Alice. I know she is right, but my current plan is to never leave Bella's side. There will never be a need to once she's changed, so yes, I just planned on always being the one to defend her. That's my job, after all.

Bella finally stirs against my side. _"Saved by the bell. Ha ha!"_ I roll my eyes at Alice's silly joke and Bella slowly drifts back up from sleep. She's disoriented for a moment and she pushes herself to a sitting position. Her hair is a wreck, but her color has returned…as much color as Bella ever has.

"Oh," she says looking disappointed. "We haven't left yet?"

"No. I was waiting until you woke up to make sure you were well enough to travel. How do you feel?"

She looks at me for a moment and then rubs the sleep from her eyes. "Tired. Achy."

"That's it?" I ask. That's to be expected. She nods.

"I lost it there at the end, huh?"

"If it were possible to give me a heart attack, love, you probably would have done it then, yes," I say and Alice sighs with an eye roll of her own.

"I'll tell the others that Bella is awake and will be ready to leave soon," she says standing up and leaving the room.

"I think if it were possible to give you a heart attack, I would have done it long before that," she chuckles. "Are we really safe?"

"Yes," I confirm. "They won't give us trouble."

"Unless I'm not changed."

"Well, I think we might have options there, but in theory, yes," I confirm.

"Maybe we should bump it up," she says quickly.

"They've agreed to June," I reply. "You have to finish school."

"It's too dangerous. We should bump it up," She argues.

"I don't think they're going to toy too much with us," I say. Especially given what Aro saw in Alice's 'vision.' "If you go missing, Charlie will launch a manhunt. All those people needlessly looking for you, worried, when all we really need to say is we started college in the summer semester?"

"You're right," she sighs and looks down in between us. She is unconvinced.

"What is it?" I ask, tilting her chin up with my finger.

"It's just…everything could have been destroyed because of me," she whispers. "That whole experience was just so terrifying and the agony Jane put you in…I couldn't stand it. I don't ever want to see that again."

I hug her close to me and she wraps her arms around my waist, "I know; I understand."

"Can we go home?" She looks up at me with pleading eyes. I couldn't deny giving her the moon from the sky when she looks at me like that.

"Just as soon as you eat," I agree.

"Ugh," she groans, sitting up. "I'm really not hungry now, Edward."

"Love, you've been sleeping nearly 12 hours and you barely ate anything before we went to Volterra. If you don't eat something soon, Carlisle will put an IV in your arm." She grimaces at that. "You don't want that, do you?"

"That wasn't playing fair," she grumbles slowly rolling off of the bed and stretching enticingly. Someone please tell me how I'm going to make myself resist making love to her for the next six months. When she finishes her stretch, she looks at me and gives me a lazy, dreamy smile.

"Okay," I say, lunging for her. She squeals as I tackle her gently to the bed. "You can eat in a little bit."

* * *

BPOV

Edward is displeased, to say the least when he has to say 'goodbye' to me at Charlie's. He doesn't like the idea of his wife living separately from him. I pointed out to him that given that he sneaks into my room nearly every night, we're hardly ever parted. That did little to curb his mood. In fact, he was pretty petulant about it, especially when I reminded him that he's the one who talked me into waiting until June.

Charlie felt a little awkward as I tearfully threw my arms around him when I got home. It made him think something horrible had happened in Aspen. Not quite Aspen there, dad. I laughed it off as unpredictable teenage emotions and told him I'd just missed him a lot, when in truth, I feared I was never going to see him again.

I stayed downstairs and talked to Charlie for a while, not really in character for us, given neither one of us are big on emotional displays, but I found myself rambling on all the things Alice had drilled me on about our 'trip' to Aspen and even how I was considering starting college in the summer semester. His eyes popped open at that and he wanted to know what my big rush was.

"I don't know," I shrugged in reply. "It just seems kinda silly to just sit around all summer. I might as well start summer classes."

"Bella, you've barely applied anywhere," he pointed out.

"I'll have to step that up a bit," I mumbled.

"A bit," he nods, but let it drop at that. No doubt deciding to call Renee at his earliest opportunity and get her on it.

It was pretty late when I had finally dragged my suitcase up the stairs. Edward was, of course, standing in my room waiting for me when I entered. He was frowning about something. At first, I thought it was because the cat, who still did not have a name, was splayed out across the bed. I briefly wondered what I was going to do with him - or was it a her? – when I left.

"You took a very long time."

"Well," I had begun my explanation, but my jaw dropped open when I saw what he was standing next to. "Edward," I said in a low, even voice. "What. Is. That?"

I gestured to my desk where my old beast of a computer used to sit. In its place was a sleek, shiny, and I'm sure fully loaded, lap top.

"It's a computer," he states the obvious.

"What is it doing _here_?" I growl.

"I thought it would be useful for you." His eyes are wide with innocence, a practiced expression he defaults to when he's bought me something expensive and over the top…like a bed for a house I hardly sleep in… or a missile resistant luxury car (oh yes, he thinks he's still getting that one by me). "We're in the second half of the year, there will be papers, finals, college applications…"

"Uh-huh."

"This will make it go faster for you; it will be easier for you." He sounds so earnest; he's obviously been practicing.

"How much did you spend?"

"It doesn't matter," he says with a shrug. "What's mine is yours."

"Edward," I growl.

"But it is, Bella. I can't change the _law_." He looks so angelic right now that I could belt him one.

"What else have you bought?" I demand through my teeth and he shrugs. "Edward."

"Nothing yet, I promise."

"_Yet?"_ I stress.

"It's all for you." It was the _way_ he said it that deflated my argument. He's genuinely been itching to have the legitimate excuse to do things like this, to make things easier for me, safer for me. How can I argue when his intentions are always so good, misguided in my mind, but good nonetheless?

I sigh and abandon my bag by the closet and move over to my desk, running my fingers lightly along the lid of the computer. I don't need any of these things. But I realize now that _he_ needs me to have things, though he'll never admit it to me. He needs to think that things are easier for me because just meeting him has made things more 'dangerous' and 'difficult' for me and so things like this must make him feel less anxious. And since I feel, ironically, the exact same way, there are certain things, I suppose, I'll just have to let him have his way on.


	28. Chapter 28

_**Both my beta and I are sick today. Kind of makes for a productive day story wise, though my house is a wreck, but really, who cares about that?**_

_**Thanks for all the great reviews! **_

* * *

BPOV

If I didn't know better, I'd think Edward was actually sleeping next to me when I wake up in the morning. His body is curled around me and his eyes are closed. His face looks peaceful.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Thinking," he opens his eyes and grins slyly.

"About?"

"Mmm, nothing in particular," he says with a shrug. He's full of it. "I've really gotten used to this bedtime routine, Bella. Getting to just hold you for hours and hours; you weren't very peaceful last night though." He suddenly frowns.

I remember my dream. Images of him, Alice and Jasper with red eyes and dark cloaks, standing in judgment in the large marble chamber with the rest of the Volturi. They actually _looked_ like they belonged there. _I_ was the one they were judging. My eyes were red, my skin was sparkling in the sun beam I was standing in.

"But you don't _do_ anything," the Dream Aro had said. And instead of calling Felix to destroy me, he'd called Emmett.

"I guess I'm just…processing everything," I mumbled, waving around my hand in emphasis.

I rolled out of bed and walked to my closet. Just as I touched the handle to slide the door open, I could swear I heard Edward mutter, "Uh-oh."

I opened my closet and my jaw dropped.

A closet organizer had been added to accommodate the racks upon racks of new, and I'm sure quite expensive clothes. Things had been arranged by color and then I'm sure by designer. I didn't see any of _my_ clothes anywhere in here.

"Alice…" I seethed.

"She means well," Edward defended her quickly coming to my side.

"Give. Me. Your. Phone." I ordered, holding my hand out flat for his cell phone.

"Here, use yours," he said and dropped something small and smooth into my hand. I looked down at the tiny, sleek cell phone in my hand in astonishment.

I'm going back to sleep. The Volturi were better than this nightmare.

"It's so you can call Charlie and Renee whenever you want after graduation." The innocence was back. Like any phone wouldn't do; like I couldn't borrow any one of their seven cell phones.

"You said last night you didn't buy anything else yet."

"I didn't buy this actually. Alice got it when she got all the clothes," he explained quickly. "She wanted to make sure it fit your style." He gestured to the closet and I looked back in silence.

I looked down at the phone in my hand and up at him. His eyes widened a bit at my hard expression. Good. He was scared.

"Make. It. Dial. Alice." I said evenly. "Now."

"Okay, but you know it's not going to do any good," he began to ramble, punching the phone buttons.

"And. Shut. Up." I added. He wisely snapped his mouth shut.

I pressed the phone to my ear and glared at him. He continued to look back at me like an angel. He's incredibly lucky he's practically indestructible right now and that I'd probably break my hand if I punched him.

"And if you think I'm driving that Mercedes or anything else that is not my truck, you've got another thing coming," I threaten as the phone rings in my ear. Alice picks it up on the first ring.

"You're a Cullen now, dress like it," she says immediately. "I Bella-proofed it. Everything is hanging in outfits. And there's even stuff for Edward on the end. _Don't_ screw it up."

"Oh no, Alice! You don't get to --"

"I'll see you at school!" she chimes and hangs up.

Edward tries to hide his amusement as I growl and shove the phone at his chest and then turn to my closet. "I'm not going to high school looking like a runway model," I grumble, shoving things aside looking for anything that won't make me look like I just stepped off of Rodeo Drive. I see a black ribbed turtleneck that looks promising and remove the hanger. Yeah, I'm not wearing the leather pants that Alice has paired with it. There's got to be a pair of jeans in here somewhere.

Edward leans up against the closet doorway and puts his hands in his pockets. He looks highly entertained. "Ah ha!" I shout triumphantly as I zero in on a pair of faded jeans in the deepest corner of my closet.

"I think those are mine, love." He chuckles, but his eyes go wide when I swear and begin the hunt again. Finally, I find a pair of green cargo pants that will have to do.

Now Edward's eyes pop open when I start yanking off my clothes muttering nonsensical things. His body tenses as he crosses his arms and looks up at the ceiling.

"What?" I demand.

"Oh…nothing," he sighs not looking at me. He presses his palms to his eyes as I realize it's likely the sight of the fading bruises that's upsetting him. "Carlisle wrote you a note to get out of gym class for this week," he grinds out.

After I'm suitably covered up, I cross the room and gently tug on his hands until he allows me to pull them away from his face. His onyx eyes reflect pain back at me. I raise myself on my toes to kiss him. He's tense, but responsive.

"How much do you love me?" I whisper in a voice that comes from the back of my throat.

He laughs without humor. "It's limitless, Bella."

"Then you'll take me shopping after school so I can have some stuff to wear that's more _me_ again?"

"Your wish is my command."

He follows me out of my bedroom and down to the kitchen where I rummage for breakfast. Charlie has left for the day and I can see that Edward's new Mercedes is already out in the driveway.

"I _wish_ you wouldn't buy me computers and cell phones," I mutter.

"That's different."

"Do you want to explain why I need a missile-resistant car in _Forks_?" I gesture out the front window and turn to pop my bagel in the toaster.

"It's _you_, Bella, I don't rule anything out," he shoots back. "But really, the only thing that's a danger to you is what's _in_ the car."

"What does _that_ mean?" I demand rounding on him.

His eyes travel slowly down my body and then he looks away. "Nothing," he grumbles.

"_You_ could never hurt me."

"All evidence to the contrary."

"Just because I bruise easily, Edward, doesn't mean there was any pain involved," I insist. "You've seen what I can look like after gym class."

"Are you trying to tell me you're clumsy in bed?" He looks at me incredulously.

"Maybe," I answer with a shrug.

"You're not."

"I'm hardly coordinated," I counter.

"Oh please," he says with an eye roll.

"Care to put it to a bet?" I arch a brow at him.

"Absolutely."

"Done."

"Wait," he says quickly when he realizes what we're betting on.

"Too late," I say. "What are the terms?"

"Bella…"

"I win and you don't buy me _anything_ unless it's preapproved," I bargain.

He purses his lips, clearly unhappy about being maneuvered into this situation…again.

"I win and you stop complaining about it."

It's my turn to purse my lips and answer tightly, "Agreed."

He cocks his head to the side and gives me his crooked smile. "Tell me how this isn't a win-win situation for you?"

I toss him a saucy smile and bite into my bagel. I think it's a win-win situation for us _both_ myself. I'm not at all happy with the having to go shopping after school, but I can't be comfortable in clothes like that. Maybe after I'm changed I'd have a higher appreciation for them; maybe then I'll actually feel like I _belong_ in them. Edward will get to indulge his giving side and I'll get him.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Confession time: I've actually had a couple of chapters finished and beta'd, but I was back and forth on the direction of a particular part of the story. I **_**REALLY**_** wasn't going to go in this direction but after a bit of debate with my beta, changed my mind. So you can blame or thank him! I, for one, am thanking him. ;0)**_

* * *

EPOV

"Okay, look," Alice says approaching us in the school parking lot. "This idea you have of not talking to me, you should know I've already seen you forgive me, so we should skip past this part."

Bella gives Alice a glare, throws her nose in the air and stomps towards the school. I snicker in response. First of all, Alice is used to getting her way and everyone just caving to the inevitable, so this isn't sitting well; secondly, Bella, like Rosalie has pointed out, is so laid back that she just usually lets people get away with murder. So, it's nice to see her fur up.

"Edward, are you going to condone this juvenile behavior?" Alice demands.

"She's upset," I shrug. I'm just happy her wrath has shifted from me to someone else. I always find myself agreeing to all sorts of ridiculous ideas when I'm trying to get Bella to forgive me. I am just fine with the heat shifting to Alice for a while.

"IT WAS A WED --" Alice begins to shout. My eyes widen in warning; Bella spins around, a look of horror on her face at Alice nearly slipping. "It was a _gift,_" Alice hisses between her teeth instead.

Bella raises an eyebrow at Alice, grabs my hand, turns around again, and stalks off. I'm perfectly complacent to let her take the lead. After our 'Christmas vacation,' high school is a cake walk.

"Not talking to someone because you're mad at them is just…just…_ridiculous,_" Alice seethes next to me. "And it's hurtful." She puts a pout on her face, but Bella doesn't give her a glance, probably because if she sees the pathetic puppy dog face Alice is throwing at her right now, she'll cave. When that doesn't work, Alice whips out her cell phone. "You leave me no choice."

"What are you doing?" Bella demands as she turns around. "Who are you calling?"

"Jasper," Alice replies. "If you're not going to forgive me and speak to me, I'm going to have Jasper come down here and _make_ you not be angry with me."

Bella huffs off into our first class and I put my hand over the cell phone at Alice's ear and lower her hand to her side. "It's not just you, she's also upset with me. Cut her a little slack, please. You've seen she forgives you, so just let her blow off a little steam."

"You're impossibly accommodating of her," Alice sighs.

"Tell me about it," I mutter and join Bella in class. I stop next to Bella's desk before I sit down and wait for her to look up at me. When she does, I lean down and brush my lips against hers, it's not a typical public display of affection on my part, but I can see that she doesn't like being angry with Alice and Alice not taking it seriously seems to have hurt her. "I love you." I whisper and she smiles sadly in return.

"_Oh my God! _Look_ at them!"_ Jessica Stanley's eyes widen from the other side of Bella as I sit down. _"Oh my God! They totally did it on vacation! She's so _lucky_! I have to get the details from her. She is so going to dish!"_ Sorry, Jess, not likely.

Lauren Malloy is sitting behind Jessica and her eyes are shooting daggers at Bella. _"My ass they're not sleeping together. Why _her_? What the hell is so special about her? I wonder how much money he spent on her for Christmas. Well, he _did_ take her to Aspen."_

"Bella, how was your vacation?" Jessica asks.

Bella looks up at her and smiles politely. "It was great."

"Did you do a lot of skiing?" Jessica asks. "_Or did you never leave the nice cozy chalet?"_

"I didn't do any skiing," Bella replies. "Me on skies? That's an orthopedist visit waiting to happen. Edward skied; I hung out with Alice while she shopped."

"_Uh-huh. Sure she did. Then again, that outfit does look new."_

Luckily, Mr. Harper calls the class to order before Jessica can grill Bella anymore, but her head is full of questions she's going to ask her later. The class drags on and I find myself having a hard time concentrating this morning. My mind doesn't seem to want to focus and pretend that this isn't the 14th time I've taken this class.

My attention lingers on Bella. She smiles and blushes when she catches me staring. I don't know why Lauren can't see what the draw of Bella is. She has a natural beauty; she doesn't have to try to _be_ anything. Maybe that's what makes girls like Lauren and Jessica so jealous of Bella. There was quite a long line of guys who wanted to date her when she moved here. It was refreshing for these small town boys to have a girl around who was neither trying to, nor interested in, impressing anyone. She didn't care about having the nicest clothes or fastest, coolest car - well, other than ours – or hanging out with the right people. She's definitely not doing that. The only other girl here like Bella would be Angela, and Angela's grown up with all of these boys. It wasn't until recently that one of them even gave her a second glance.

Lauren continues her vile thoughts of Bella. I hate hearing stuff like this. I have to fight the very strong urge to turn around and bare my teeth at Lauren, or anyone else who sends unpleasant and threatening thoughts at my love. Maybe I can get Alice to do it later. She's itching for a fight now. She'd probably glean much enjoyment out of scaring the ever loving daylights out of Lauren.

"_It's such a crime,"_ Lauren goes on. _"She's so plain and he's so…_not._ Rich, gorgeous, the strong silent type. Actually, she is from a big city. Those kinds of girls tend to be more easy. I bet she ends up pregnant."_

Her ramblings start to fade out as my head starts to spin. Pregnant? I haven't really considered that, and no one in my family ever even broached that topic to me. Not Carlisle, not anybody. Was it because we all assume that it's not possible? _Is_ it possible? It's not possible for Rosalie or Alice or Esme; their bodies are frozen as they are. But Bella's actually changes. And normally, too. It's like the only normal thing about her.

This certainly changes my perspective on things. Now I _really_ can't risk more sex with her, which is probably why I didn't consider it in the first place. A half human/half vampire child? Would she even _survive_ something like that? There's never been anyone like Bella and I before, at least not that the Volturi have encountered and they're 3,000 years old.

I just naturally assumed that that would be a human experience Bella would be giving up by choosing a life with me. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that I have absolutely nothing, no hard facts of any kind, to base that belief on. It's not like any research has ever been done before, or the theory has been tested. There's just myth.

Of course, myth sometimes is pretty accurate.

A familiar scorching sensation shoots down my throat and I realize that Bella is waving her hand in front of my face. Everyone around us is gathering their books.

"Class is over," she says needlessly.

"Yeah," I nod as we stand up.

"Are you all right?" she frowns.

"Yes, of course," I lie.

"You kind of pulled an Alice there," she murmurs as we slowly file out into the hall with everyone else.

"No," I assure softly. "No visions." Just one extremely horrifying thought. You would think that by now, I really would have sat down and puzzled out every terrible thing that could actually happen to her. But as I said, there's never been anything like us. There's nothing at all to refer to, no precedent, no guidebook, no myths, no stories passed down through thousands of years of our kind. No science to back up the assumptions that a vampire male and a human female _couldn't_ conceive a child. I doubt that it ever occurred to Carlisle to investigate whether or not a male vampire _could be _fertile. What would be the point?

Aside from the fact that Bella is still in high school and small minded people like Lauren Malloy would practically stone her in the town square – or want to anyway, it's not like I would ever allow that – if it was possible, would I _want_ a child? For obvious reasons, I've never thought about it.

No, I can't make that kind of decision. There are too many unknown variables involved. But what about Bella? If she thought it was possible, would she want a child with me? Would she want to be a mother?

"_If I can't have those human experiences with you then I don't want them."_ That's what she'd said to me. She likewise assumed it wasn't possible. But if it were possible, and if she _thought_ it were possible, would she want it?

I look down at our joined hands between us and then up at her worried, probing eyes.

Yes.

Yes, that is exactly the kind of thing she'd want.

* * *

JASPER POV

"Bella, for the love of God, your pacing is driving me crazy!" I suddenly snap, not that it does any good.

"I can't help it!" she groans. "Edward has been closed up with Carlisle for _hours_ now. What's going on? Can't you hear what they're talking about?"

"Well, yes, I can."

"_And_?_!" _

"And it's something he'll discuss with you when he's ready and has all the facts," I say, skirting around the issue. I certainly am not going to be the one to let this cat out of the bag. A half-breed child? _Edward's_ child? Bella would be all over that. Edward's smart for looking for more information first, if he tells her at all, and I'm of the mind that he shouldn't tell her at all. It's not like _she's_ the one that brought it up. Why does she ever really need to know? There are too many unknown and probably unsafe variables involved.

"He's been weird all day," she says still pacing back and forth in the open space of the garage, where I've taken her. "Distracted, not really talking, looking worried about something." She's pretty good at reading his moods.

"He is," I confirm with a nod.

"Why are you down _here_ then? Why aren't you up there trying to calm _him_ down?" she counters.

"When I'm given the choice of your moods or his, he wants me to take care of yours," I confess.

"But you haven't _done_ anything. I haven't felt you change a thing."

"I feel guilty manipulating your moods, Bella. It kind of feels like beating up on the weakling."

Ooops, now I feel annoyance from her. Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words.

"Let's change the subject," I suggest. "Are you going to let Alice out of the doghouse?"

"Yes, when she feels remorse."

"She doesn't want you mad at her."

"That's not remorse," she counters.

"Alice will be Alice," I sigh.

"And I will be me."

It's hard to argue when she puts it like that.

"I don't need all this stuff; I don't need fancy clothes, or a fast fancy car or a new computer. And a phone? What am I supposed to do with a phone?"

Boy, she's really going now. She's pacing faster and her arms are flailing around. I should calm her down, I really should, and Edward would want me to. On the other hand, this is all going to come out sooner or later; it might as well come out now so she's a little calmer later.

"Remember when we talked about misfits, Jasper? That's still me. You said we were a family of misfits, but I'm still the misfit _among_ the misfits! I don't like any of the things anyone else does, AND I'm human! I don't fit in anywhere."

She huffs out a long, tired breath. Yes, she definitely feels better now having gotten that off her chest.

"You're going to tell me I need to say something to the others, aren't you?"

"Oh, I think they can hear you," I chuckle. The rest of the house sounds pretty quiet right now.

She's mortified for a split second and then she's resigned. "_See_! I can't even speak quieter than everyone else. Alice sees me, you feel me --"

"Ah, but Edward doesn't hear you," I point out. "You're a step ahead of the rest of us there."

"I'm a misfit in that, too." Now she feels dejected and is looking down at her hands.

"Do you want him to hear you?"

"Sometimes," she answers with a shrug.

"Why?"

"I don't know," she mutters. A human may not have been able to make that out, but I had no problem with it. Then the reason finally dawns on me. "So he'd know when you felt things like this?"

"I don't like upsetting him. I'm so different and all the rules are different with me." She shakes her head. "There's so much more for him to worry about." She pauses and then smiles a bit. "He thinks my brain works on a different frequency."

"You are definitely one of a kind," I laugh.

"Told you." She laughs back. She feels lighter. "Do _you_ have a theory on why he can't hear me?"

"Sort of," I reply. "It certainly came in handy with the Volturi though, didn't it? We can hide all our thoughts and secrets with you if we want to. They'd never be the wiser. There _is_ something different about you; hopefully, the mystery will be solved when you're changed. I don't know what it is, I don't know what causes it, but you're going to be able to do something great, Bella. I can feel it."


	30. Chapter 30

_**Okay, I know you don't know me well enough to totally believe me when I say "trust me,"…but, well, trust me. If you've hung on this long, I will not lead you astray! (I mean, I **_**might**_** actually lead you astray, but I'll try real hard not to do that!)**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews! You guys just knock my socks off! And thanks to my beta, who probably had to work more on this story than any others he's beta'd for me.**_

* * *

EPOV

I clench my fingers into my hair and squeeze my eyes shut. I can hear Bella in the garage and see her in Jasper's head. I hate this emotional pain she's in.

"_It's all right."_ Carlisle, always the voice of reason and calm. It's not working that much right now though. _"Jasper is with her. He does very well with her. She seems to like confiding in him."_

Yes, oddly enough, she has found something of a Kindred Spirit in Jasper, and I'm thankful for that.

"She's so unhappy," I shake my head and stand up, moving for Carlisle's closed office door, but he stops me.

"Edward, you can't go interrupt her every time she's upset. Who will she turn to if she thinks you're always listening?"

"She _knows_ I am," I argue. "It won't come as a big shock to her."

"She'll keep it bottled up inside; she needs to let it out sometimes," Carlisle continues. Just like Jasper seems to be able to get through to Bella, Carlisle is able to get through to me. So instead of barging through the door, I lean up against it.

"Where were we?" I sigh.

"You were mortified at the thought of having to get a fertility test," he replies dryly.

"And how exactly is _that_ going to get done?" I counter.

"_How do you _think? _You have two medical degrees."_

The old-fashioned way. That's what I was afraid of.

"Is it worth it? Do you even think it's possible? I can just hold out until she's changed."

"She doesn't want that and neither do you," he replies.

He's right. But I can't put her in danger either.

"There are legends of half-human children. The stories mostly come from South America. The women never survive, the child is killed immediately. But those legends are thousands of years old. Of course, it's impossible to determine which genes of yours and which genes of Bella's will be inherited by the fetus, but a delivery in a controlled environment…" He trails off and is thoughtful. _"I think it can be accomplished with minimal harm to Bella._"

"_If_ male vampires were fertile," I qualify.

"Well, all legends stem from some sort of truth, right?"

"And by controlled environment, you mean…"

"Caesarean section."

Surgery? No, I don't think so. "This is ridiculous. There are too many dangers we cannot possibly comprehend. I'll just…resist her until she's changed."

"_Because that has worked so well for you in the past."_ I hear Rosalie's sarcastic thoughts from the other side of the door. That's it. I'm too close to the edge to deal with this too. But when I yank open the door to confront her or possibly pummel her flat, she's there with Esme and Alice too.

"You're going to get tested, right?" Rosalie glares.

"Oh, a child!" Esme coos, clapping her hands. "Things will be so _wonderful_ with a _baby_ around here!"

This is not happening to me.

I look over at Alice. She is the deciding factor anyway. _"I don't know. Edward, I just don't know. I can't see one way or the other."_

"What do you mean?" I frown. The three of them invite themselves right on into Carlisle's office and the conversation. It seems that this is now a full blown family affair and Bella doesn't even know about it yet.

"Well, I can't always see Bella, you're expecting me to see a half-human that doesn't even _exist_?" Alice demands.

"No. I'm expecting you to see Bella," I reply.

"I can't," she says softly. "It's too hazy. I can't see her."

"Then that's it. If Alice can't see it, I won't risk it." I look over to Carlisle and make my decision, but Alice's head does not clear up.

"You would deny Bella that human experience?" Rosalie hisses. "Is that _really_ your decision to make, Edward?"

Of course she'd take this position, _of course._ I should have gone to speak with Carlisle at the hospital about this. But I was so frantic all day about it, and Bella 'tricked' me this morning… again. Of course I let myself get tricked. When she looks at me with those big chestnut eyes, I can deny her nothing. Least of all something I want myself as well. This explains why Alice's vision hasn't cleared up.

"Not if it costs Bella her _life_, Rosalie." I hiss. "That's not something I'm willing to sacrifice for anything or _anyone_."

"You don't know that," Rosalie shoots back.

"_What if she were changed immediately after the baby was born?"_ Esme's quiet thought gently interrupts. _"She's being changed anyway. Why does she _have_ to go through the entire thing human? Maybe she just has to carry the baby human. Edward, if there's a possibility, you_ can't_ deny her the choice. You cannot make that decision unilaterally."_

"We also can't live vicariously through Bella," I say quietly and sit back down. "You heard her in the garage. If she's presented with this option, she'd want to try solely for the two of you." I look up at Rosalie and then slowly move my gaze to Esme before looking away from their hopeful expressions. "And she is _not_ our science experiment."

"You're the one who told her you wouldn't allow her change unless she knew all the facts, Edward," Rosalie says tightly. "You're right, perhaps this is a bit self-serving of us, but we know what it's like to have the decision taken away from us also. Somebody needs to be on Bella's side right now, too. Do you _really_ want her to find out after she's changed that she might have had the option?"

I look over desperately to Carlisle, damning Lauren Malloy and her vicious thoughts to hell and wishing I'd never even brought the subject up.

"_You need to talk to Bella about it and make the decision together. Nothing is about just you or just her anymore. You know that. You didn't find her after she was changed, you didn't find her when she was dying. She's making the choice; she's giving _you_ the gift, not the other way around. Talk to her about it, we'll gather as much information as we possibly can, and _then_ make a decision. From a scientific and medical point of view, I am _far_ from convinced right now anyway."_

The room is silent as I sit there deliberating. Rosalie is right, and that of course is maddening enough, but I did promise Bella she would not be changed without all the facts.

"What about the Volturi?" I whisper. "Has anyone thought of that? We don't know anything about how the child would turn out. If it's half vampire will it be immortal? Will it age? They'll be here, they'll see."

"Please," Rosalie scoffs. "Of all reasons _not_ to do it, Edward, the Volturi shouldn't be one of them. They care only that she's changed. If we give them a date and do it before that date? I don't think they're too anxious to mess with us again so soon."

"Details like that could be decided later," Carlisle says. "Right now, we're looking only at possibility and safety, nothing else. And, of course, whether or not it's something Bella even wants."

"And she lives in a different time than we did. Normal eighteen year olds don't typically have children these days," I point out.

"They don't typically get married either," Rosalie retorts. "This is Bella we're talking about; she's _atypical_. You have to give her the choice, Edward. You. Have. To."

I look out Carlisle's office window at the darkening sky. Twilight. Fitting.

"Well, I'm not going to do it here, that's for certain," I announce standing up. The women look victorious, but they're getting their hopes up. What are they going to do if Bella declines? Or Carlisle discovers it's not even possible? What are they going to think then?

Typically, the doors to the garage are open, but since Jasper has Bella in there, they're closed and the heat is on. Bella is sitting up on Rosalie's work bench and Jasper is twirling a heavy wrench around like a baton and Bella is laughing at him. "I don't know, Jasper. I _still_ don't think I'm going to be able to do anything like that. This is _me_ we're talking about."

"I bet you'll be able to," he says.

"No more bets," I announce from the doorway.

She smiles widely at me and holds her arms open. I'm happy for my superhuman speed as I streak into her embrace. She wraps her arms and legs around me and I'm surrounded by her, by her warmth, by her _humanness._

"You look like you're in a bit of a better mood," she says.

"I do?" I reply. "Trust me, I'm not."

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" she frowns.

"Yes."

"_Do you want me around for this?"_ Jasper asks cautiously. He's on my side in that I should never shed any light on this possibility with Bella. Emmett is conspicuously absent, I'm sure he's avoiding taking any sides until he absolutely has to.

"No," I decline. "I think she should be permitted to feel whatever she will." Her frown gets deeper. "We're not going to talk here anyway."

"_I wasn't offering for _her_." _He looks at me wryly before departing the garage.

I roll my eyes and look back to Bella. "I have to talk to you and I don't want any outside influences around when I do." I tell her.

"It sounds very serious," she says, running her finger down my cheek.

"It is."

"I'll go wherever you want." She hops down off the workbench, sliding down my body as she does. That doesn't make things any easier.

"I promised to take you shopping." I'm banking on the distraction of shopping to help soften the shock, being in a public place might curtail some of what might be a heated argument. Of course, Bella always does the opposite of what I think she will, so maybe she'll just blow the whole thing off.

But I don't have that kind of luck.


	31. Chapter 31

31.

BPOV

I'm attempting to make quick work of shopping, but Edward keeps slowing me up. It's not that he wants me to stop and try things on or anything like that, he's just walking slower than any human I know. He dutifully holds everything I shove at him, which is mostly jeans and sweaters, anything that doesn't have a pattern on it or buttons in weird places or anything else that would make me stand out anywhere. The Gap is the perfect store for this particular mission and with Edward's psychotic driving, it's not like it took all that long to get here. I probably could have told him I wanted to go to The Gap in LA and he would have had me there and back by midnight. As it is, we're nearly at Seattle.

He looks at me over the round rack of clothes I'm scrutinizing. He said he wants to talk to me, but whatever it's about, he's dreading the conversation.

What could be worse than having to tell me the Volturi wanted an in-person meeting with me? Or a pack of giant wolves wanted to talk to me?

"Lauren Malloy --" he starts and I snap my head up to him.

"Lauren!" I repeat shocked. "What does _she_ have to do with anything?"

What. Did. She. Say. Now? How can anyone be such a shrew? Even Rosalie isn't as snide as Lauren. Rosalie is downright _warm_ next to Lauren. I don't even remember Lauren talking to Edward today.

"She had a thought today that was a little…disturbing to me."

"And let me guess, it was a fairly innocuous thought which in turn sent your brain spiraling?"

He looks at me and frowns. "Yes, something like that."

If I was a vampire like him, I'd snarl right now. He's been a basket-case because of whatever snide thought she's had about me, and whatever it is has caused a complete and utter meltdown in him. How dare that witch upset him like this? Maybe I'll have Alice scare the crap out of her…after I let Alice out of the doghouse.

Something over my shoulder has put a horrified expression on his face. I look behind me, expecting to see Caius getting ready to chomp into my neck or something, but the only thing there is the baby section.

"This was a horrible idea," he says, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "I'm going to wait until we're in the car."

"Okay," I nod. "I'm done."

He grabs my hand and pulls me quickly to the register, unceremoniously dumping everything onto the counter. The checkout clerk has clearly just fallen in love. I don't blame her; he _looks_ like a Gap model. My jaw drops when she smiles angelically at him and rattles off the damage…er, total, which he, of course, doesn't bat an eye at. My plane ticket from Phoenix didn't cost that much money. I shudder to think what my closet is worth right now. He grabs the bag, my hand, and I'm half expecting him to throw me on his back and run me out of the store.

Edward has never willingly drawn attention to himself since we met. It's the Cullens' constant desire to blend in and not have anyone look at them too closely, which always suits me and my desire to just be wallpaper just fine, except they're all so impossibly beautiful they can't help but stand out. That is not the exception now as he draws his normal stares, pulling me along as I blush furiously.

We move much faster once we get to the parking lot. The car is already warming up when we get to it. This Mercedes, of course, has remote start and heated seats. Those features are for me, the invalid human. Well, the entire car is apparently for me and my human shortcomings.

I study him carefully as he tears out of the parking lot, waiting for him start this conversation again. He flies along 101 until he finds a spot on the side of the road overlooking the Harbor. It's of course rainy and dark, so you can't actually see anything, which is fine because my attention is solely on him. He leaves the car running to keep the heat and turns in his seat to me.

"Edward, this is making me crazy," I announce.

"I know; I'm sorry," he says. He takes a deep breath and then rambles. "Lauren thought something today that got me thinking and I promised you I wouldn't change you unless you had all the facts and knew everything you'd be giving up, all the human experiences. _You_ said that if you couldn't have those human experiences with me, you didn't want them."

"Right. That hasn't changed."

"It might," he grimaces. "Well, Lauren – who is really quite lucky I haven't had Alice put her through a wall yet – she predicts, to herself, that you'll end up pregnant before the end of the school year."

_This_ is what he's worried about? "Edward, that's impossible."

"It might not be."

I don't understand.

"Vampires can't have children."

"_Female_ vampires can't have children. We don't know that males aren't fertile; we've never tested it."

I _really_ don't understand.

"Edward, I don't…are you saying you want to have a baby?"

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm telling you that if you wanted to be a mother, if you wanted _us_ to have a child together, there's the distinct possibility that we _could_, though we don't know much about it or how safe it is."

I stare at him with my jaw dropped. I just don't know what to say. It's like the moment Emmett suggested we get married. It's just such an overwhelming thought.

I shake my head, unable to wrap it around this concept. "Edward, I don't…"

"_Your_ body changes, Bella. Unlike Alice, Rosalie and Esme's, your body can change the way a woman's is supposed to in order to accommodate pregnancy. Carlisle hasn't looked into it. This all just came up today. My sisters and my mother were adamant that I tell you of the possibility before you were changed, so you'd have the choice."

Rosalie and Esme must have been quite forceful in their arguments.

"Does Alice see that?" I ask quietly.

"No, she can't see anything," he replies in the same soft tone.

"Is that what _you_ want?"

"I haven't thought that far into it. I've only thought about what you might want, whether it's possible and how safe it may or may not be. It's never been something I've had to think about before, so I honestly don't know, Bella."

I look at his beautiful, agonized face and think, 'How could I not want more of him?' But it sounds like there's a lot to consider and I know he won't tolerate anything that puts me in danger. It is half his decision too.

"Well," I say with a deep breath and a nod of encouragement to him. "We'll let Carlisle look into it, see what he comes up with and make the decision together."

His face splits into my favorite crooked smile and his eyes soften. "I like the sound of making the decision 'together.'"

"It might be my body and my humanity, Edward, but I think you should also have a say in whether or not you're a father."

A strange expression crosses his face then that I can't quite decipher. I also don't have the brain capacity at the moment to try. He slides his hand up my neck and pulls my face to his, crushing my lips. My heart rate increases and my stomach flutters like it always does when he touches me.

I unclip the seatbelt and climb over the gearshift to his lap. I chuckle a bit when I hear the electric motor for the seat reclining to give us more space. I thought for sure he'd cut this little interlude off at the knees.

Just as he pushes my coat off my shoulders, another set of headlights shine through the car as someone parks not too far away from us.

"You're _kidding_ me!" He groans, his lips against my throat.

"Popular spot, Edward. Just how many girls have you brought here before?" I snicker.

"You're hilarious." He sighs.

"We can pick this back up at my house," I whisper trailing kisses down his neck.

"You're brilliant. Have I ever told you you're brilliant?"

I smile as I push myself off him and return to my seat. He tears back onto the road so fast, he probably scared the hell out of the other car's occupants. I'm so excited right now that I don't even yell at him for how fast he's driving, which seems to be faster than he normally does with me in the car.

The engine quickly winds down as he takes his foot abruptly off the gas pedal when we get into my neighborhood.

"Why?" he groans. "Why is she here?"

"Who?" I ask as we pull in the driveway. Only my truck is here, since Charlie is scheduled on the night shift.

"Alice," He sighs throwing the car in park.

"All right. I'll forgive her as fast as I can."

He laughs, as we head into the house and up to my room. Alice is there on the bed, with what might just possibly be the most heartbreaking expression I have ever seen in my life. It makes me want to hug her.

"Bella, I…I feel remorse," she says softly, not meeting my eyes. "I understand now the seriousness of the offense and, well, the punishment of you shopping without me, well it was justifiably severe."

Edward rolls his eyes. "You're laying it on a little thick, aren't you?" he mutters and little Alice hisses violently at him. He, of course, laughs it off.

"I just want you to know, Bella, I'll never do it again," she continues. "Well, I might. I guess I shouldn't say never. Eternity is a long time. But I'll at least try and make it a few decades before I do. I really don't like you not talking to me. You're not just my sister, you're my best friend."

"No problem, Alice," I say quickly and start tugging on her hand.

"And if you want, we can go shopping some more and you can pick out whatever you want," she continues. "I know lots of stores like The Gap."

"Sure. Absolutely," I say again, tugging some more. "Just you and me."

"Really?" Her eyes light up, cheered by the idea.

"Definitely. You'd know if I was lying," I say with a nod, still tugging here.

"Oh, Bella!" she stands up and throws her arms around my neck. Edward sighs. "Thank you for forgiving me! I mean, I knew you would, but I thought it was going to take longer. Show me everything you've got!"

"_Now?"_ I ask incredulously. Edward flops down to the bed dramatically and shoves the pillow over his face. Good thing he doesn't actually need to breath, his fingers are clenching it pretty tight.

"Yes, of course," Alice looks the picture of innocence, however, I sense an ulterior motive here. Edward is not contesting, so my suspicions are probably right and he knows resistance is futile.


	32. Chapter 32

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Oodles of thanks to my beta for indulging my eccentricities and rolling with it.**_

_**Oh, I did it again, by the way…**_

* * *

EPOV

"So, what did she say?" Rosalie and Esme are on me as soon I am through the door. Bella's getting ready for school and I came home to change and get Alice.

"It's a little overwhelming for _both_ of us, so maybe you two could give us some time and space to absorb it?"

Seeing as how we were still understandably undecided, Alice put herself on a mission last night to intercept us from doing anything until measures could be taken to ensure nothing happened accidentally while we were deciding. The fact that Bella didn't have a meltdown or make any impulse decisions was surprising and a great relief.

The more I think about it, and I had a lot of time to do that while Bella was sleeping, the more undecided _I_ am. I upheld my end of the bargain. I informed her of the human experience she could still have. Bella hasn't experienced what I have. She hasn't had decades to travel the world, go to college (which she doesn't seem at all interested in), or any of the other things that people generally do before they get married and settle down with children.

I don't like that she has to make this kind of life changing decision and act upon it in the next six months. It's criminal. It's unfair.

Maybe I will get lucky. Maybe Carlisle's testing and research will come up with the whole issue being moot. Is that the coward's way out? Yes, I suppose it is. Eternity is a long time to regret a decision. That is the Catch 22 though, is it not? Rosalie and Esme regret never having had the choice; whereas Bella and I will get to regret having made the choice.

I am not worried about the reaction of the others. I would miss my family, but I will happily live apart from them with Bella if they're going to be difficult about any decisions we make.

"You two don't have a lot of time to play around with the decision." Rosalie says.

"Yes, I am painfully aware of that, Rosalie." I hiss in reply.

"Rosalie," Esme says gently. "Edward understands our concerns well, I believe." _Probably more so than anyone else._ "We've presented the other side of the case. The decision is theirs alone."

Rosalie looks at me for a long moment, but where I expect to see anger and frustration, I don't see it. It's something else, something I am not all that accustomed to experiencing from her. Compassion. _"Just remember what we talked about before Italy, Edward. Eternity is a long time for regrets."_

Alice is ready before I am, which is an unprecedented occurrence, and she stops me on my way up to my room. _"Today is Charlie's birthday. He's going to suggest he and Bella go out to dinner tonight. That will be the perfect opportunity for you to take care of Carlisle's testing."_ She looks over at Carlisle's office door and I cringe. Ugh. This whole thing is endlessly embarrassing. _"You can hunt with us after. Emmett can stay with Bella. I think he can use the time to himself."_

"All right," I agree easily. Sometimes it's nice to let someone else call the shots for a bit.

I wish she could tell me how things are going to go. Sometimes she has a hard time seeing Bella, but she never has a hard time seeing _me_.

Emmett has been pretty scarce. I imagine Rosalie is a little difficult to be around right now. In theory, _I_ can give Bella what Rosalie wants so much; what she would give absolutely anything, including Emmett, to have. That has to be a lot to deal with.

Though Rosalie's love for Emmett is genuine, it's not absolute. If there was the slightest possibility Rosalie could become human, she'd take it. You would think that someone as vain her would relish staying young and beautiful forever, but she would give it up to be able to age surrounded by children.

I shower and change quickly, grabbing everything I need for school. When I breeze down to the living room, Alice is sitting on my piano bench, leaning an elbow on the closed lid. I remember the promise I made to play for Bella again. But when I look at that piano, all I remember is throwing Jasper into it the night of Bella's birthday. It's all different now, but the image is still there. It will always be there. I need to figure out how to get past that. It's been too long since I've seen Bella's eyes light up as I played for her.

"I'd like to thank you for not leaving without me today," Alice snickers.

"Don't make me regret it," I shoot back rolling my eyes as we approach my Mercedes and I tear out of the driveway.

"You know, I really liked that yellow Porsche we had in Italy. It was super fast and handled so well."

"So get it."

"Jasper wants to get motorcycles."

"Alice, you don't have a car. Get the Porsche if you want it."

"What are you going to get for Bella when she's changed?"

"I thought about a Ferrari, but I don't think she'll drive it."

"No, she'll probably still want that decrepit old truck."

This is probably true though I'm surprised Alice can't tell me what kind of car I'll be buying for Bella. She certainly won't need a car like _this_ anymore. Maybe a zippy little Audi.

Bella is waiting for us to arrive, Charlie's cruiser is still in the driveway. She whips open the door and comes running down the stairs. I get out of the car to meet her, and it's a good thing I do because she slips on a patch of ice and I catch her before she hits the ground. How does someone go through life this bruised and battered?

Charlie sticks his head out the front door.

"Hi, Edward," he says.

"Good morning, Charlie," I nod in return.

"Bells, don't forget tonight."

"Got it, dad," she says and Charlie disappears back inside.

"It's Charlie's birthday; he wants to go out to dinner tonight," she says.

"Alice told me," I reply. Her face falls a bit and I'm instantly reminded of her frustration at being neither omnipotent nor having extra-sensitive hearing. "I mean, really?"

"Nice try," she smiles lightly in return. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No. I have some…things…to discuss with Carlisle and then I was going to go hunting with the others." I open the car door for her and she climbs inside, her shoe catching on the seatbelt. It's second nature watching her stumble through life. "Emmett will be around."

She doesn't comment on the fact that though the immediate danger to her is past, I've still got a rotation of bodyguards set up for her. How can she argue when she's tripped twice in a minute and a half? Things just _happen_ to Bella.

* * *

BPOV

It's quiet in the cruiser as Charlie and I leave the restaurant parking lot and start to head home. This is the last birthday I'll spend with my dad and I'm sad about that. There has to be some way I can still keep my parents in my life, more than just by phone calls. I've gotten very attached to my father since moving here and I didn't think I would. My father and I are so alike and yet so incredibly different that I never thought we could companionably share silence, I thought it would be endlessly uncomfortable. But two quiet, introverted souls can co-exist quite easily together as it turns out.

Emmett's out there somewhere. Keeping his distance, but staying close enough to keep a watchful eye on me. I'm so used to never being truly alone, yet being given my space, that I don't even think to object to the inconvenience of it.

"Renee's been asking for you to go down to Florida, have you thought of using those plane tickets the Cullens got you?" Charlie breaks the silence.

Edward in the Sunshine State? No, I _haven't_ thought about it. "Uh, no. I hadn't really thought of when I'd go." The rainy season probably.

"You should think about it," he says as he nods at me. "I wouldn't want her to think I'm hoarding you up here."

I can't help but laugh at that. Charlie's not the reason I never thought to visit my mother, though I miss her like crazy.

"You're awfully accommodating of vacations with my boyfriend," I tease him and his face is taken over by the father's frown I've gotten to know well.

"There will be parental supervision."

"Of an 18 year old."

"Don't remind me," he grumbles. He really has no idea what an 18 year old is capable of when left to her own devices.

"Harry Clearwater called. He has fish fry for me," Charlie suddenly announces. "You don't mind if we swing by real quick and get it, do you?"

"Umm…no, sure," I nod. Emmett's going to freak. We were pretty close to La Push already. The restaurant we went to is only about five minutes from the border.

As we draw closer, my cell phone rings.

"When did you get that?" Charlie asks surprised as I fish it out of my pocket.

"It's a gift from Alice," I mutter.

"Nice gift," Charlie says under his breath as I answer Emmett's call. He must be actually running alongside of the car in the tree line. It doesn't sound like he's exerting any effort though we're going probably 40 miles an hour.

"Hey, Em," I greet, trying to sound as bubbly as I can.

"Turn that car around, Bella, or so help me, I will stop it for you," he growls. I have no doubt that he's serious.

"Hold on, Emmett," I say into the phone and then turn to my father. "Dad, you know, I'm really kind of beat. Can't you get the fish fry tomorrow?"

"Bells, we're almost there," Charlie says. "I'm just going to run in. I'm not going to stay."

I search my head frantically for another way to get him not to go to La Push, but it's a wasted effort as we cross over the border. Emmett swears into the phone.

"Sorry, Em," I say softly.

"Stay on the phone," he orders.

"Umm…okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"Who is that?" Charlie asks.

"Emmett, Edward's brother. He's bored. Everyone else is out and he's looking for someone to talk to," I always try to stay as close to the truth as possible. I'm still a rotten liar and it helps that Charlie is looking at the road and not me.

"I really don't give a shit what you talk about, Bella," he sighs into the phone. Wow, he's really ticked off about this. "Just don't hang up that phone, got it?"

"Sure…um, I haven't seen Rosalie in a bit, how's she doing?" This is actually true. I haven't seen them in a few days. Rosalie and Esme have strong feelings about the baby thing. A big part of me wants to do it, just to give them a little something of what they were denied. The rest of me feels awkward about seeing them again and knowing what decision they're hoping I'll make and I don't even _know_ what I think about the whole thing. Eighteen year olds don't typically have babies…planned ones anyway.

"Different subject," Emmett grunts on the other end.

"Well, crap, Em. I don't know what to talk – DAD LOOK OUT!" I shriek.

A minivan runs a red light, right as we're in the middle of the intersection. There's a loud bang, crushing pain and silence.


	33. Chapter 33

_**It's a testament to how much I adore my loyal reviewers that I'm posting this chapter so soon. Though, there's no much of a resolution here either. And I was wondering how I was going to fill the time…**_

* * *

EMMETT POV

What do I do? What do I do?

I'm pacing on the treaty line, feeling completely frantic. I can smell Bella's blood. God, it smells so good. So sweet.

What do I do? What do I do?

She's hurt. Charlie's hurt too. From the smell of it, it's pretty bad.

If I cross this line, that's it. The treaty is void and a war starts. Especially if I'm across the border because I smell blood.

A lot of blood.

Mere seconds tick by as I try and figure out what to do. Seconds that Charlie and Bella can't afford.

A bloodcurdling scream pierces the night. Decision made.

It takes me no measurable time to get to the accident scene. A woman is stumbling around and screaming frantically into a cell phone. She's bleeding from the head. That head injury is going to work to my benefit soon. "I hit a cop! Oh God, I think they're dead!"

No. No, they're not. Charlie's not doing well though. Bella's side of the car looks like it was hit the worst. The door's stuck. Isn't it ironic? Edward buys the safest, strongest car on the planet, and it doesn't do Bella a bit of good. The woman doesn't notice I'm here yet, so I use that to my advantage to get the door open. Of course, when she hears the pulling of the metal, she looks over. "Oh, there's someone here!"

There's more than just _someone_. I can hear and smell the Pack approaching. Fan-fucking-tastic. Well, it's not like I didn't expect that when I crossed the treaty line.

Bella's eyes are fluttering. I unsnap her seatbelt. Her heartbeat is strong. It's nothing Carlisle can't fix…one way or the other.

"Bella? Bella, its Emmett. Help is on the way."

The Pack emerges in their human form. Three of them surround the other driver, effectively blocking her view of the rest of the scene, namely the confrontation with me.

My throat is scorching and my head is spinning as I ease Bella from the car. Her blood is getting all over me. I am not strong enough for this situation. Just one small taste…

No. No, I can do this. I could not handle the disappointment of my family if _this_ were the instance I fell off the wagon. If Jasper can overcome it, I'm not going to slip either. We have long since given up on our bet of who would fuck up first and kill Bella. Bella is my sister. She needs my help.

Two of the wolves go to Charlie's side of the car. He is not conscious either. The rest surround me.

"Step back," I threaten with a vicious growl.

"Get away from her," Sam Uley orders. Jacob Black looks like he's going to yank Bella out of my arms and rip my head off. Over my dead body.

Which might be the case. I'm ridiculously outnumbered.

"Step. Back. Now." I use my most menacing voice. It scares even me, particularly because I'm unsure of what I'm capable of right now. I lay her gently on the road and quickly turn and crouch and bear my teeth. I can give them a little preview if they're not taking me serious enough. I'll be damned, well, more than I already am, if I let these yutzes anywhere near her when she's injured. They're not fast enough in their human forms. It won't take me long to slaughter them. At my downright feral growl, they take a step back. I ease Bella back into my arms and they continue to hover over me.

"Tend to Charlie," I order, looking down at Bella and gently tapping her cheek. "Bella. Bella, honey, can you hear me? Open those beautiful brown eyes."

"There's a lot of blood here, leech," Jacob sneers.

"Yeah, no shit!" I bark back. "So help Charlie, God dammit!"

My restraint right now surprises them, no doubt. It's shocking the hell out of me too, but I'm certainly not going to admit that to _them._

"I'm saying maybe this isn't the best place for you," he retorts.

"I am not leaving her."

I can hear the sirens now. These humans drive painfully slow. I quickly run my hand along her body looking for where all this blood is coming from. There are also shards of glass all over her. She almost looks like me in the daylight. My hand comes away sticky and smelling like Thanksgiving dinner.

I fight back the shaking that begins now that I've located the open spots of her skin. Her lower back, her leg, again, in addition to the gaping one at her head. And I smell something else. Is she bleeding internally? Maybe that's Charlie.

Her eyelids flutter open and she focuses on me. Thank God. It's definitely less tempting to kill her when she's staring at me with those trusting eyes. Edward's not kidding. She has absolutely no idea, nor does she probably care if she did know, how dangerous we actually are to her.

"Emmett?" her voice is weak and soft, but still clear to me.

"Yeah, it's me, Bella."

"Don't leave me."

"I promise I'll stay by your side until I get you to Carlisle."

"It hurts, Emmett," she whines, cringes and squeezes her eyes tight against the pain.

"I bet it does."

"My dad?"

"I'm not really sure; he's alive."

"If I don't make it, you'll make sure Edward knows how much I love him?"

"Don't be an idiot, Bella, you'll be just fine. One way or another, Carlisle will fix you right up."

Things tense up as the Pack reacts to what I just said. This probably wasn't the best place to say something like that. Oh well, they'll just have to deal with it.

"Where the hell is that ambulance!?" I shout.

"It's getting closer." Sam says.

I stand up in one fluid movement, careful not to jostle her at all.

"What are you doing, bloodsucker?" Jacob demands as he and his boys there tense up.

"The humans are taking too long. I can run her to Carlisle faster than this."

"Not without us," Jacob insists.

"Whatever, but put Charlie in that ambulance, if it ever shows up, because I'm running her out of here right now."

And then I take off, flying back across the border with three of the Pack hot on my heels. It's nice to know I'm faster than they are when they're human. Even once I cross the treaty line, I know Alice won't see me since these puppies are with me, so Carlisle has no warning I'm coming a scant few minutes later as I blow through the emergency room doors calling his name loud enough so he'll hear me no matter where he is in the hospital.

Nurses run straight for me. "There was a car accident in LaPush. There's another coming by ambulance. He's real messed up," I say as I ease Bella onto the gurney they lead me to.

Carlisle bursts through the opposite doors and his eyes are wide and horrified when he sees Bella and I. I can only imagine what this looks likes. "Emmett!" That one shout of my name asks so many questions.

"She and Charlie were in an accident in LaPush," I immediately inform him. "Charlie's coming in an ambulance. He seemed pretty bad."

"All right." He's cool as school. "Get out of here and take them with you." He says gesturing to Jacob and his buddies. "Call Alice."

I turn and hustle the three monstrous dogs out of the hospital. I whip out my cell phone and call Alice. A nurse comes out and hands me a set of hospital scrubs. Thank you, Carlisle. He thinks of absolutely everything. If Edward sees me covered in Bella's blood, he'll…well no, he's going to freak out regardless, and I guess I could look less macabre for him.

As soon as the wolves were away from Bella, Alice was able to see. She answers her phone assuring me they're on their way.

"You've got a lot to answer for, leech," Jacob says when I snap the phone shut. I can hear the sirens off in the distance. I hope Charlie's okay.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," I laugh. "She was in an _accident_, mongrel!"

"That doesn't make it all right."

"Too bad!"

Tensions ease significantly. Jasper's here. Alice and Edward are a blur as they streak past me into the hospital.

Here we go.

* * *

EPOV

I pay no attention to the confrontation that's happening outside, or the fact that the smell of Bella's blood is so potent as I fly by Emmett. I care only about getting to her. Carlisle is ticking off his assessment in his head.

"_Broken femur, cracked ribs, one's broken through the skin, some internal bleeding. She'll need surgery. She's covered in glass. She's lost a lot of blood. She'll need to be transfused again."_

I am speechless when I see her. She's more messed up than when James got her. I freeze in the doorway to her exam room and Alice shoves me out of the way of the frantically working medical team. All I see is red. Blood red everywhere. _Her_ blood. It looks like she exploded.

"I can't stay," Alice whispers next to me. "I'm sorry, Edward, but I can't stay here for this. It's going to be a long recovery, but she'll pull through, I swear."

She flees the room. I can't blame her. An entirely different force is keeping Carlisle and I here. Carlisle's is centuries of resistance; mine is my sick, masochistic love for something that should never have been mine.


	34. Chapter 34

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended**_

_**Thanks so much to my wonderful beta! Thanks to all my reviewers and those of you that add me to your lists. I really appreciate it and you all are still reading this! It's been ages since I've written something this long.**_

* * *

JASPER POV

It's a typical SNAFU. Bella's life is in danger, Emmett's going to get in a fight, Edward's melting down, and I'm working overtime. But I _still_ wouldn't go back to the pre-Bella days. She's hilarious…when she's healthy.

I will say that Emmett really needs to change his clothes though. He's so wrapped up in his argument with the Pack that I think he's completely forgotten that he looks like _he_ was the one that was injured.

Alice herds everyone out of the doorway as the ambulance with Charlie inside squeals into the parking lot. We all stop and stare. Nurses meet the ambulance crew outside as they unload Charlie.

"His blood pressure isn't stabilizing," a paramedic informs the nurse. "He hasn't regained consciousness, we've been treating him for shock."

"Oh no," Alice says softly.

I'm no doctor, but I know enough to be able to say with certainty what any given person will ultimately die of.

Shock.

It's the process whereby your body begins shutting down parts of itself in order to save the more vital ones. Sometimes it's fast, instantaneous even, other times it's slower, more dragged out. Of course, people can recover from it if they're treated quickly enough, but it's certainly not a good sign.

Emmett looks back to the Pack when the newcomers disappear into the hospital. "You still think there was no reason for me to cross the line?" Emmett growls at Jacob; Sam has arrived now with a few others.

"We were there; we got there right after you," Jacob retaliates.

"The accident happened 40 minutes ago! You saw Bella. She didn't have that kind of time. Maybe your theory of natural selection varies from mine, but I protect my family, pooch!"

Jacob, who is still shorter than Emmett despite his size, gets right up in Emmett's face. I have to give him points for bravery, which would instantly be deducted for idiocy. "I think your theory of _family_ is what's translating wrong."

"She's my sister-in-law and I'll be a pile of fucking ashes before a bunch of strays get their paws on her. I don't care _what_ the reason is," Emmett growls back.

"All right. That's enough. Back it up," Sam says stepping in between the two.

Emmett steps back, but Jacob does not. _"What_ did you say?" Jacob looks at Emmett stunned. What? What did he say? Oooohh, he said _sister-in-law_. Well, that can of worms is sprung open.

"Jacob. Step. Back." Sam orders again. Alice nudges me, so I send a calming wave at the Pack, but feeling a little devious, I leave Emmett heated. Jacob cannot defy the command of the alpha and dutifully steps back. Sam turns to us.

"Clearly there will need to be some sort of negotiations," Sam says to me, as I am clearly more rational than Emmett right now and Sam apparently has no interest in dealing with Alice. "The current treaty doesn't stipulate any sort of violations no matter how justified they may or may not be."

"You're going to let them _off_!?" Jacob is outraged, but steps back again when Sam glares back to him.

"I'm going to save this vital discussion for a time when tensions aren't running so high and it can be discussed diplomatically," Sam replies.

Translation: When Carlisle is available and I'm not being quite so prejudicial with my talent.

"We'll be in touch," I nod to Sam.

Sam motions for the others to go. Only Jacob doesn't budge. "You're going to let a bunch of vampires hang around outside a hospital. That's okay with you?" Jacob is confronting Sam now.

"He's still covered in Bella's blood and we're still alive," Sam gestures to Emmett. "I don't think anyone is in danger right now."

"I'm not going," Jacob is resolute.

Alice steps forward in between a snarling Emmett and a defiant Jacob. "I can't tell what's going to happen with you here," she says calmly to Jacob. "I can't see Bella and Charlie as long as you're around them. I _really_ need to see them right now, Jacob."

He glares at her like he wants to crush her. I bare my teeth _just_ a bit, ready to show the dog some manners.

"Let's go, Jacob," Sam orders. With one last dark look to Emmett, Jacob finally falls back.

There is a crush; and then there is obsession. Once we're out of the woods on this and Carlisle is set to meet with Sam, I will be sure to tell him to negotiate the Pack's distance from Bella. Anywhere else in America, in the real world, that kid's behavior would warrant a restraining order.

* * *

EPOV

"Sandy, call down to the blood bank and have them bring O-negative to the OR. She's going to need to be transfused." Carlisle says. He is now discussing Charlie and Bella's condition with the surgeon. "Nicholas, I think you should take care of Chief Swan and I can handle Isabella."

I blink once at Carlisle's use of her full name. It's the only movement I've made since Alice shoved me in the corner eons ago. I've been standing here like a statue in the corner and no one has said a word. I'm sure I have Carlisle to thank for that. I won't be allowed in the OR though. Nothing will get me in there.

Bella is pale and unconscious, medically induced at this point, and the hospital staff is getting ready to move her into surgery. One nurse is still gingerly picking glass off of her. I can tell by the howling coming from another area of the emergency room that the other driver has arrived. I can smell the beer from here.

If either Bella or Charlie dies, nothing will stop me from avenging them.

Actually, Bella won't die. There is always an option for her.

But that certainly doesn't make me feel any less frantic right now. The agony and fear she must have felt earlier is ripping me apart. Is this normal? Has anyone _ever_ felt this kind of sympathy pain for someone before? Her pain constantly torments me as well. Have mates ever felt so completely connected like this before? Or is it only because one is human and feels pain so much more often?

"_There's paperwork you're going to need to sign, Edward, as her next of kin."_ Carlisle looks over me and I nod jerkily. Paperwork? What do I care about paperwork? Whatever gets it done! _"You understand what this may mean?"_ I nod again. I don't particularly care what it means. It doesn't mean anything to me other than Bella will end up with the same tragic story we all have. People ask questions and we move. That's the way it works.

"We're ready," Carlisle says with a nod. It's been a mere ten minutes since I got here. I follow as orderlies come to bring Bella to the operating theater. There are observation windows in the operating rooms here, I'm sure Carlisle will ensure I am at least permitted to be there.

"_Edward."_

I look automatically up to Carlisle. He's not looking at me though and that wasn't the sound of his voice. Was it Alice then? It did not sound like her either. If I didn't know better, I would think that it sounded like Bella, but that's impossible.

Right?

Did she wake up? No, I would have noticed the movement of her eyes. I am losing my mind. She has finally driven me over the edge. I will be the first vampire in history that needs to be institutionalized.

As we approach the OR, Carlisle shuffles me to the observation room. I look at him and see my empty eyes reflected back at me in the golden brown of his. _"Whatever happens, do not enter that operating room. Do you understand?"_

What is he, crazy?

"_Edward, do you understand?"_ he insists.

All I can do is nod my head. I just lied to my father. But he can't really think I would keep a promise like that, can he?

I walk to the window and gently press my fingers to the glass as I see her rolled into place. IVs are being hooked up. I see the blood they are going to transfuse her with in the corner and it's now wheeled next to her bed. I wrinkle my nose a bit at the thought of her smelling like strangers again.

"_Stay."_

"I will, I promise," I whisper.

Wonderful. Now I'm answering the imagined voice in my head. I'm so far gone that I'm actually conjuring the sound of her voice in my in a vain attempt at comfort. The only thing that will truly calm me is seeing her beautiful eyes open and watching her smile at me. I consider the fact that she could be talking in her sleep, but the drugs would make her sleep too deeply to speak. No. No, I'm obviously having delusions. I like the delusions though, so maybe they will keep me company while I wait.

Wishing doesn't make it true though. I watch Bella's face for the entire four hours and thirty-three minutes it takes to patch up all of her problems.

Her convalescence this time is going to be lengthy. Of course, I could make it last a mere three days, three agonizing days, but that will certainly be less than she's facing. All of our families, except for mine because they were already dead, mourned us. None of them knew what became of us. We simply went missing. Bella could do the same. I could play the distraught boyfriend. I could pretend…

No, I could not. It is not the way she wants it and since she's making the choice to join me, she should be allowed to give her family some sort of closure.

So I begin to make other plans instead. She'll be here for a while, so she'll be missing school and she'll have to keep up. Then once she's up and around, she'll start physical therapy. She's going to need to get back and forth to that. Charlie isn't going to be able to help her. Bella will have plenty of nurses, but who will care for Charlie? I'll hire him a nurse. He will have round the clock care so she doesn't have to worry.

I decide to wait to call Renee until she's out of surgery and Carlisle can speak with her. I'm sure Renee will hop the next plane here, so I will make arrangements for her as well. I doubt she will be interested in staying at Charlie's if she doesn't have to.

Bella is always the caretaker and the role reversal is guaranteed not to go over well. It didn't when she had the flu.

They've finished up now and they are preparing to move her to a permanent room. Carlisle goes to clean up. _"She's doing well, Edward. I will go check on Charlie and come see you when she's settled."_

I frown as she's wheeled past me sporting a new, unfamiliar scent. It's wrong. It's not her. Her scent is, of course, there, but it's mixed in right now with others.

I resist the urge to push the orderlies out of the way and push her myself. I do not want any more people touching her, breathing on her, poking her, taking more of her valuable blood, taking her temperature, injecting her with anything else. I want everybody to leave her alone, which of course is never going to happen.

Once we're in her room, the nurses hook her up to the monitors in there while I drag a chair right up to the bed to begin the long torturous wait for her to wake up. The nurses leave me alone with her. I pick up her hand in both of mine and then rest my chin on top of them.

"I miss you," I whisper.

I listen to the beeping and low whirl of the machines. It's faint when it comes, but my delusion answers, _"Miss you, too."_


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N: Sorry about the wait on this one. I was experiencing bad writing and it took a few passes on my part before I would send it to my beta. Sometimes I get extremely finicky. I'm getting an enormous snowstorm right now, so I'll probably be homebound for the weekend, so hopefully 36 won't take as long as this one did.**_

_**Thanks to my beta! He always has a super fast turnaround. **_

* * *

35.

BPOV

A familiar and comfortable song swirls around me as I begin to swim back up towards consciousness. Everything is hazy, but I continue to let the music pull me forward. It is the most melodic voice, one that can excite me, and relax me, soothe me to sleep or, in this case, bring me back to reality when the darkness is too tempting.

"Bella, love," the voice calls softly. "Time to come back now." His voice falls over me like a silky wave as I fight through the mist to return to the voice. The only voice. "Bella," he calls again.

My eyes flutter open and I'm proud of myself for overcoming the first hurdle. They take a moment to focus, but they are instantly drawn to my guardian angel's face.

My guardian angel's extremely agonized face, that is.

I'm in the hospital…again. I vaguely remember bleeding, with Emmett there. Wait, Emmett didn't do this, did he? No. No, that's impossible.

"There you are," he smiles softly.

"You stayed," I croak.

He cocks his head to the side and looks at me curiously. "Of course I stayed. Where else would I be?"

"What happened this time?" I ask.

"If you're trying to go out with a bang, you're achieving your goal, Bella."

"Charlie?" Things are starting to come back to me. Edward does not seem to be too willing to participate in this particular conversation.

"Will eventually be okay," he answers.

"Eventually?"

"For the most part," he qualifies.

"Tell me," I insist.

"He had some back injuries that have caused swelling and are putting pressure on his spinal cord. The doctors, and Alice, predict that it will eventually go down and he'll make virtually a full recovery, after what will be some extensive physical therapy," Edward says slowly and cautiously. "He also has quite a serious concussion."

I swallow and wince in response, causing a pained look on his face. "And me?"

"Your injuries were much gorier."

"That's not surprising." My voice sounds weak and grainy to me. I have to fight just to keep my eyes open.

"Isabella, please rest," he pleads. "I promise to give you all the gruesome details when you are feeling a little stronger. Please, for me, just sleep."

Of course, when he puts it like that, it's impossible not to give him what he wants, so I let myself slip back to sleep.

* * *

EPOV

"_For a second, I thought I had the wrong room."_

"Why's that?" I ask Emmett as he enters.

"_Well, I didn't smell her. And I am _painfully_ aware of how she smells."_

"You and me both," I sigh.

"It's really kind of creepy," he continues. "Seeing her lying there and she doesn't smell like herself. I didn't hang around the last time."

"Yeah."

"Alice said she's going to be all right."

I smirk a bit and opt not to mention that Alice completely made up her vision in Volterra for Aro's benefit. It really makes me wonder just what she really has actually seen, and what were 'comfort' visions for the rest of us.

"You should just roll her out the back door and change her."

"I know; I want to."

"Sooo, why don't you then?"

"Not without her say so."

"None of us got a say when _we_ were changed."

"None of us _chose_ this either."

He looks down at her sleeping in the bed and the accident scene plays over in his head. I drop my head to my hands and close my eyes tightly. Her scent, the sound of her frightened and pained voice, the look in her eyes as she thought she was going die, all burn into my mind and mingle perfectly with all the other times she has looked like that.

"You did well, Emmett," I compliment him quietly.

"_There was a second there…"_

"There always is."

"I give you a lot of credit, bro."

I shrug. I don't even think of the restraint it takes anymore, I just employ it. The burn is my constant companion. It has to be. When I'm not around her and I don't feel it, I don't even feel normal anymore. It will be strange getting used to it being gone once she's changed.

"She's got a lot to recover from," I say, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

"That might be a problem for lesser mortals…" Emmett chuckles and I can't help but crack a smile. Bella's always recovering from something. "I was talking to Carlisle and he was saying how surprised he was that Bella was able to sign all of her own consent forms."

"Yes," I dodge, though I don't fool Emmett. Carlisle is averse to killing, not lying. It's not like we have never had to forge anything before, or even often.

He stands next to me for a few moments, looking Bella over and trying to reconcile her current scent. He finally gives up. "This is creeping me out. I'll come back later."

Right after Emmett leaves, Bella opens her eyes again. She definitely seems a bit out of it from all the drugs, but she is a little more alert than before.

"Why do you have that look on your face?" she asks with a slight groan.

"What look?"

"Like something is offending you."

"I'm not sure I understand." I frown.

"You look like something smells bad or something."

"Ah." Not being able to read her thoughts is, at many times, incredibly inconvenient. But then again, I'm not sure I'm entirely convinced that I _didn't_ hear her before. The voice sounded exactly like her. The voice _was_ hers whether it was real or imagined. I'm probably tilting at windmills hoping it was real because as I study her now, I can't hear her thoughts. It's been ages since I've pushed at the barrier that seems to protect her thoughts, but I give it one more try now anyway.

Nothing.

She's still looking at me for an explanation. "It's probably because you were transfused again. You smell mostly like strangers right now."

"I know how that disturbs you."

"How do you feel?" I ask.

"Groggy, and like I've been lying here too long." She prepares to adjust her position, but I immediately stop her.

"I'll do it for you," I whisper as I gingerly pick her up slightly off the bed and lay her down a little higher up. "You have a surgical wound on your back," I explain. "You have some broken ribs and one came through the skin." She turns a little green.

"What else?"

"A broken leg, obviously," I continue gesturing to her cast encased left leg. "You had glass all over you, a minor concussion…"

"I get it," she says holding up her hand. "How long am I stuck here?" I wince in answer. "That long?"

"At least another week, love," I say. "Charlie's going to be moved to the rehab facility in Sequim. Renee will be here in the morning. She's planning on staying a while." It is not that I don't like her flighty, sweet mother, but _nobody_ is happy about this, for obvious reasons.

"I don't think she's going to want to stay at my house," Bella says as she cringes a bit. "She hasn't set foot in it since the day she left."

"Esme and Renee talked this all through at length," I explain with an eye roll. "You'll be staying with us for the duration of your convalescence, and Renee will be staying at our house for as long as she's here."

Her mouth drops open.

"What? _Where?_"

"My room," I answer in an overly gracious tone. She shakes her head in confusion. "Well, I have that big bed and the couch in there, so Renee said she would happily take the couch and you, of course, get the bed."

"Edward…"

"Do you not want to stay with me?"

"Of course I do, but Renee…"

"It will be fine," I assure her.

"And when Renee gets up in the middle of the night and finds _everybody_ in the house awake?"

"Bella," I laugh. "You worry about the silliest things."

She scrunches up her face in adorable indignation, but it falls and her face becomes very serious. The anxiety immediately starts to take me over. "What's wrong?" I quickly ask.

"You understand, Edward, that no matter how painful the recovery is for me, you can't change me unless something turns life threatening, right?" She says quietly. She must have heard Emmett and I talking. "I can't have Charlie thinking that I died because of that crash, it would kill him."

Damn, I didn't think about it that way.

"Bella…" I plead softly. I just can't stand to see her go through that kind of pain, not when it is so avoidable.

"Promise me, Edward, please."

"Fine." I give her all the attitude of a 17 year old boy not getting his way, but she looks satisfied enough.

"Oh!" she suddenly gasps and I'm instantly on alert.

"What? What's wrong?" I frantically read her face for signs of pain or distress.

"Edward, I can't stay with you. Somebody _has_ to be at my house!" she says urgently, grabbing my hand.

"Why?"

"My cat!"

Oh dear God.

"Excuse me?"

"My cat, Edward. Someone has to take care of it. It can't be there by itself."

"Bella, our house is _not_ the place for an animal."

"Well, it's not the place for a human either, but you're willing to have _two_ there," she counters. Excellent point.

"But nobody there knows how to take care of a cat," I try in vain. She'll never buy that. Even though it's true, it would take any one of us about a minute and a half to research it.

"I do."

"Bella, it doesn't even have a name." She cannot be serious with this. Maybe I'll take it to the pound or some kind of kennel, or maybe I will use my charms to sucker Jessica into taking it.

"Sure it does," Emmett says from the doorway.

I turn around and glare at him. Of course he chooses _now_ to return. He's grinning at me. I look back at Bella, who likewise looks confused. She's never assigned a name to it. She never wanted to get too attached to it in case someone had a…mishap.

"Its name is Pâté!" Emmett says with a smile, obviously very proud of himself.

"It is NOT!" Bella gasps indignantly. I stifle a laugh. Bella wouldn't find my amusement at all funny.

"How about 'Lunch' then?" he snarks.

"EMMETT!" she shrieks. Now, she's getting agitated, her pulse and her breathing are increasing. That's not good.

"All right, love, all right," I insistently shush, stroking her hair. "We'll go get the cat and bring it home, and no one will eat it."

"_Good luck with that,"_ Emmett chuckles in his head.

Bella leans back into the pillows and closes her eyes, slowing down her breathing. I watch the numbers on her machines fall back down to normal. This will fly at home like a ton of bricks.


	36. Chapter 36

_**Where was I going with the cat? This scene with Rosalie. What can I say? Sometimes scenes and dialogs pop into my head and I have to figure out a way to get there and sometimes, it's a strange route.**_

_**Thank you, my beloved beta! (Even though you sent this chapter back to me with a shocking amount of highlighting! "edit happy" indeed…)**_

_**You might not hear from me until after the New Year, so Merry Christmas, Happy belated Hanukkah, Happy New Year, Festivus, Boxing Day, Kwanza, whatever it is you're celebrating now, have a happy and safe one!**_

_**I have hung my review stocking by the chimney with care…**_

* * *

EPOV

"Heeerrrre kitty, kitty, kitty…" Rosalie coaxes.

"C'mon out, my pretty, come out, come out, wherever you are," Emmett chuckles and Rosalie glares at him. "What?"

"Could you _try_ not to be such a jerk," she hisses at him.

"Its _name_ is Pâté," Emmett counters. "And you can smell it, it's under the bed." Emmett sweeps his arm out, gesturing to Bella's bed. Rosalie gives him her death glare before she gets down on her hands and knees to peer under the bed.

Alice squeaks as the cat zips out from under the bed and across her feet as she stands in the closet doorway scrutinizing and still bemoaning Bella's wardrobe while she packs clothes. Before anyone can do anything the cat vanishes into the depths of the closet.

"You're supposed to be _faster_ than the cat," Emmett reminds Rosalie.

"Shut. Up." Rosalie says through clenched teeth.

I roll my eyes and flop across the bed. This is ridiculous. I can't figure out either why no one has just gotten the cat and shoved it into its carrier. I don't know why Rosalie of all people is trying to be nice to it and coax it out of hiding. It will never come out on its own; its survival instincts are too strong. I never see this cat when I'm here. I have already packed up her computer and school books. I own all the books she frequently likes to read and music she listens to.

"Just get the cat and try not to have any accidents with it," I order as some pictures on her dresser catch my attention and I pop up to retrieve them for her and put them into one of the suitcases Alice is preparing.

"Please," Rosalie scoffs, waving her hand. "Who wants to eat a cat? How satisfying of a meal would that be? It's nothing; it's…shrimp cocktail."

"Don't let Bella hear you say that," I sigh running my hand down my face.

"She really should have taken me shopping with her," Alice mutters, pulling things off hangers.

"Bella doesn't need fancy clothes," I shrug in response, picking up the photo album she made in the fall and glancing idly through it.

"_Dude."_ I hear Emmett's thought and look up. Alice and Rosalie are glaring at me.

"Oh, and _we_ do?" Alice demands. "What the hell does _that_ mean?"

"_I won't dignify that with a response."_ Rosalie tosses her luxurious hair over her shoulder and moves past Alice to pounce on the cat. There's hissing, screeching, and clawing, but she emerges victoriously, with a squalling ball of fur. "Where's its box?" she demands.

"Downstairs," I say. She looks at me, curls her lip up, and then marches out of the room. I'm going to be paying for that for a few decades.

It's true though. I can't help it that they took my comment the wrong way. They're both beautiful. They know I think they're beautiful, but they _have_ to be beautiful. They're designed that way. Alice is just annoyed over witnessing Bella's wardrobe change; Rosalie…well, Rosalie is mortally offended right now. Mortal for one of my cars more than likely.

Bella is naturally and simply beautiful. She doesn't need artificial enhancement and she doesn't need high end designer clothes to make herself more appealing. Bella also likes to blend in, like she did in Phoenix, something she's never done while living in Washington, but she tries. So the more simple and unassuming her attire is, the better, as far as she's concerned.

Renee is with her at the hospital now. I didn't like leaving Bella, but a hospital isn't the easiest place for someone with my diet to be, so I left for a bit to hunt with my brothers and sisters before coming here and make sure that Bella had everything she would need at my house.

A car door slams shut outside and I look abruptly to the window. Jessica is making her way towards the house. _"What am I going to say? I'm going to end up blubbering like an idiot like I always do. I should have brought Angela with me. I should have thought this through more."_

"Jessica is here." I say needlessly to Alice.

"She wants to know if there's anything she can do to help. She thinks Bella is here," she responds before she returns her attention to the shoes in the closet.

I streak downstairs and open the door for Jessica; Emmett and Rosalie have now successfully gotten the cat into its carrier and it continues to cry and hiss from behind its door.

"Good morning, Jessica," I say quietly with a nod.

"Um…hi," she says. _"He's so hot! She's so lucky!"_ "I came to see how Bella was feeling; is she here?"

"No, she's still in the hospital. We're here to pack things up for her," I reply.

"I've heard she and her dad were pretty hurt and no one knows exactly how they're doing. There's all sorts of rumors, so when I saw your car here, I thought maybe…" Jessica rambles. I must say, I'm impressed. She seems genuinely concerned, concern prompted by her small-town need for gossip and to know everything, but genuinely concerned nonetheless.

"They were very hurt," I confirm and try to keep the pain out of my voice. Bella has made me soft around these humans, a very dangerous thing. I have to constantly remind myself to keep my edge. "It will take them both quite a while to recuperate, but eventually, they should both make a full recovery. They were hit by a drunk driver."

"I heard she lost a leg," Jessica says earnestly.

"She still possesses all of her limbs," I say as I smile at her with an effort. The thought of Bella losing a limb turns my stomach, but at the same time, I'm curious how the loss of a limb would affect someone as clumsy as Bella is.

"When is she coming back to school?"

"That hasn't been determined yet. She'll try and keep up while she's out."

"_She's a brainiac, too. She probably won't miss a beat."_ Ah, there is the Jessica I know and dislike so much.

"If there's anything I can do…" Jessica offers. It is a duty offer, I think

"I think we've got everything covered."

"Actually," Rosalie says emerging from the kitchen with the cat carrier, while Emmett carries all the food behind her. "Bella has this cat and my aunt is allergic. Would you mind cat sitting? That would be a huge help."

"Err…" Jessica murmurs as Rosalie puts the carrier right into her hand.

"Its name is Pâté." Emmett supplies.

"Well…" Jessica replies. _"My mother will probably have a stroke. But then again, she gave me all that shit about never helping anyone else and only thinking of myself and blah, blah, blah…"_

"I would really appreciate it," I say gently and use, as Bella says, 'the overwhelming full force of my eyes.'

"_Oh…my…."_ Jessica's resolve shatters immediately. "Sure."

"We'll pay for any supplies that you need for it," Rosalie continues.

"_How about my hotel bill when my mother kicks me out."_ Jessica looks at the cat uncertainly. _"Maybe I can pawn it off on Mike. If he hears it's Bella's, he'll spoil it rotten. You'd think he'd just get over her after all this time. Obviously, she and Edward are still going strong…"_ Jessica doesn't seem to have gotten over her jealousy, making she and Mike the perfect pair, but she's taking the cat, so I can at least show some kind of gratitude.

"Well," Jessica says, still peering in uncertainly at the cat. "Just let me know when Bella is up for visitors."

"She would enjoy that," I smile back. And she would. For reasons far passing my understanding, my kind and gentle wife continues to be friends with this…person, despite Jessica's negative thoughts. But I have to remind myself that Bella cannot hear Jessica's negative thoughts, so she doesn't know what a little shrew she can be.

Emmett follows Jessica to her car, which makes her both excited and a little freaked out, and loads all the cat supplies into the hatchback. "That was brilliant, babe," he tells Rosalie when he returns.

"It's not like she's all that attached to it," Rosalie shrugs. "Plus, if it's there, it's going to jump all over her, which given all her current problems, probably won't be all that comfortable. She can always get it back if it's that big of a deal."

I arch an eyebrow at Rosalie. That was unusually kind of her, in her own twisted Rosalie way. _"It's not like it's for you or anything."_

Of course not. Writers tell tales of the bond between siblings, particularly the strength of a sister's love. Myself, I don't think those writers _had_ a sister. My sisters know all that there is to know about me and there's nothing I can do about it. I am not sure if that makes them strong assets or extreme liabilities, because I'm about as close to Rosalie as my head is to my feet.

* * *

BPOV

It definitely didn't take long for the boredom to set in. My mom ran down to the cafeteria to get something to eat and Edward went for a quick hunt with the others. I wish someone here would take me to see my dad. I need to make sure he's all right. Carlisle said he would be, but does that mean he is right now?

I'm surprised when Jasper enters the room. He seems to have gotten over his cautiousness around me all right, but this place must make him edgy. It's like a blood bank. In fact, it _has_ a blood bank!

He makes his way to the side of my bed faster than any of the nurses can seem to, leans over and dramatically sniffs me, then scrunches up his face in mock disgust. "Who are you, and what have you done with my sister-in-law?"

"You're a riot," I say rolling my eyes.

"You're like an un-Bella."

"You should take that act on the road."

"I have to confess, Bells, I'm glad I wasn't there for _this,_" He sweeps his hand grandly over me, indicating my rather banged up, bruised and battered body.

"I think that's definitely the last time Emmett signs on for babysitting duty," I reply.

"It won't be too much longer that you'll need a babysitter," he replies. A nurse enters the room and Jasper sits on one of the chairs next to the bed. The nurse checks the machines, prints out a hardcopy of some readout and then leaves, never glancing in Jasper's direction.

Human female reactions to Jasper are so different than they are with Edward or Emmett. He's tall, and blonde, and lean, well-dressed, and good looking despite the scars he has. But there's also a dangerous aura surrounding Jasper. It definitely gives people pause. He's the only one that I would say openly makes people nervous and uncomfortable, which I find interesting considering, he can make you feel whatever he wants to make you feel.

Interesting, maybe that's what he does. Maybe he uses his curious talent to make sure humans are wary and cautious around him. He's always used it to calm me down, but I don't really know what he does to other humans. I'm just about to ask him when my mother re-enters the room and, ever the gentleman; he stands up when she enters. She has a tray of food and she, likewise, pauses when she sees Jasper. She's never met him before. He didn't stick around in Phoenix and this is the first time he's returned to the hospital since the night I was brought in.

"Bella, who's your friend?" Renee asks, sitting down on the cot Edward uses when he 'sleeps' here. It isn't until she sits down that he retakes his seat. How ironic, probably the most menacing and dangerous vampire of the family is the most well-mannered. How looks can be deceiving.

"This is Jasper, mom. Esme's nephew."

"One of the twins," she nods.

"Ma'am," Jasper nods to her. Renee looks a little surprised by the title.

"It's the middle of the day, Jasper, you don't need to be in school?"

"I graduated high school, ma'am," he replies. "I'm still on winter break from school."

"And what do you go to school for?"

Here we go.

"Electrical engineering."

"Do you want to stay in this area when you're through with school?"

"Yes, Alice loves it here."

"She's just as sweet as she can be."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Mom, you're prying," I warn.

"Baby, I'll be staying at their house. I think it's only natural we get to know each other."

What am I going to say to that? I can't always be in the room to curb Renee's curiosity and they're certainly used to telling their cover story.

"It's all right, Bella," Jasper says. "This is the first time I'm meeting your mother; and the others speak so highly of her." Renee, of course, blushes. It's hard not smile when Jasper turns on his charm…and talent… "Rosalie and I are originally from Texas. We came to live with our Aunt Esme when we lost our parents, at a very young age to a car accident."

"Such tragic stories you all have," Renee says placing her hand flat across her chest and looking at Jasper like she wants to hug him, even as she quite obviously decides against it.

"Yes," Jasper replies. "Bella is very lucky to have two very loving parents."

"And quite a caring extended family with all of you," my mother says gesturing to Jasper.

"We're very fond of her, ma'am," Jasper acknowledges. I blush and he laughs at me. Jerk. He stands up and looks over at me. "Bells, I'm going to get going; I should probably help the others."

"Help the others with what?" I ask and realize that that was really probably code. I blame the drugs.

"Well, Esme's cooking and she'll need help setting up Edward's bed, and Carlisle has things he wants to bring home for you," he lists off and I don't ask for any more details. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Renee."

"You too, Jasper," my mother says with a smile. "I look forward to seeing you again." He smiles at me before leaving the room. "So polite," my mother sighs. "I hope our staying with them won't be too inconvenient."

I nearly choke, thankful she has _no_ idea just how inconvenient it will be.


	37. Chapter 37

_**Happy New Year Peeps!**_

* * *

EPOV

"What do you need? I'll get you anything you need," I say. Bella is settled in my bed. She looks good there…minus all the bandages and cast. I like her here. And she's pretty much here for good now. It is more than likely that Bella will be here through graduation. Charlie's not going to be well enough to be on his own for a while. He's going to be staying with the Blacks until he can return home.

_That_ is going to be a nightmare. I tried to get him to let me hire him a home health aide, but he refused. Then, Jasper came up with an application for "free" charity home health care. (It was very well done, too) Again, Charlie refused. Bella was of no help in the situation, preferring he be with people he knows than strangers or spending any unnecessary time alone.

I blame the drugs.

"What I _need_ is for you to stop hovering," she replies.

I chuckle and try to cut it off. I am unsuccessful. "Well, I'm not going to do that." She glares at me.

"What is that heavenly smell?" Renee says, breathing deeply.

"Esme is making dinner," I reply. Bella's eyes widen.

"It smells wonderful," Renee sighs. Esme's cooking, according to Bella since she's the only one that's ever had it, is wonderful. Bella's eyes widen and she looks at me with dread.

"Esme's _cooking_?"

"I thought you said she was a wonderful cook," Renee replies, misunderstanding why Bella is upset.

"She is," Bella mutters. "I'm just…uncomfortable with the fuss."

"Doesn't she cook for a large family all the time?" Renee prods.

"Yes, of course," I answer. Bella sighs and drops her head back into the pillows. _None_ of this is sitting well with her. She _has_ to be waited on hand and foot, not like I wouldn't anyway, but she just physically can't do things like that, not that she ever did here anyway. But as you would expect, with someone as self-sufficient as Bella has always been, she really doesn't like being taken care of.

"Ready to go down?" I offer.

"I guess," she mumbles.

Renee sweeps out ahead of us. She and Esme get along famously, of course. It's difficult not to like either one of them. Renee is _very_ perceptive though. She made several very astute observations in her mind when we arrived back here earlier today. Flighty as she is, she's incredibly observant. It's obvious where Bella gets that particular trait from.

I sweep Bella up gently in my arms. Just to cheer her up, and because I can't get enough of it anyway, I drop a kiss on her delicate neck. She smiles sadly in return. "Soon you won't need this sort of attention ever again. It's one of the things I'll miss. Not that I would ever miss you getting injured, but letting someone else take care of _you_ for a change and shower _you_ with attention, most definitely."

"Has there ever been a time when you _haven't_ done that?" she chuckles and lays her head on my shoulder as I breathe her deeply in. She _almost_ smells normal again. I do not answer her question because the answer is when I first met her and desired to kill her more than any other human being I have ever encountered.

"Settle down and be good," I shush her as I kiss her forehead and bring her downstairs.

Renee and Alice practically cluck over her as I seat her at the dining room table. Carlisle rolls his eyes and chuckles to himself. Esme's breezing in and out of the kitchen with a flourish putting more and more food on the elegantly set table. Jasper and Rosalie look like they're being led to their execution. Only Emmett seems laid back about the disgusting process we're all about to endure.

Renee fills up Bella's plate. The rest of us take just large enough portions so as not to arouse suspicion. Except for Emmett, who likewise loads his up. _"Hey, in for a penny, in for a pound, right?"_

It _almost_ works.

"Rosalie, you're not hungry?" Renee asks, gesturing to Rosalie's empty plate.

"I'm on a diet," Rosalie replies.

"_Damn! Why didn't I think of that?"_ Poor Jasper.

"Oh, honey, you don't need to lose any weight. You're beautiful," Renee smiles.

"I'm maintaining," Rosalie smiles sweetly.

"_She's probably bulimic." _Renee's thinks. _"Bella's awfully skinny too. She needs to fatten up a bit."_

Well, that's certainly not going to happen at this meal, as she'd have to actually _eat_ something to gain weight. She's just pushing her food around her plate at the moment. Renee looks over to me and I immediately shove something into my mouth and chew.

Gross.

"Bella, honey, you're not hungry either? Esme made a delicious meal," Renee asks. Esme beams at Renee.

"No, not really," Bella says softly.

I look over at Carlisle. _"It's normal,"_ he assures me. _"It's probably from the medication. We'll get something light into her later."_

"I think I just want to go back upstairs," she says, still in that soft tone.

Rosalie, Alice, Jasper and I all jump to our feet with variations of "I'll take her!"

I glare at all three of them. Alice and Jasper sit back down with a heavy sigh. Only Rosalie remains standing.

"Edward, don't be silly. You sit and eat. You know I don't normally eat dinner anyway." She smiles angelically at me. Sometimes, seriously, I really hate her.

"_Ha, ha!"_ Stupid Jasper… "She's right, Edward. Why miss this perfectly wonderful meal? Rosalie would just throw it back up anyway." Rosalie gives him an unamused look. Technically speaking, that statement was totally true, but now it's made her sound bulimic to Renee, who of course is now drawing those very conclusions.

"Jasper," Esme chides, but Jasper doesn't look the slightest bit repentant. "That's hardly appropriate dinner conversation."

"_Bunch of wusses."_ Emmett shoves a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

Rosalie and I help Bella up out of the chair and Rosalie 'assists' Bella in hobbling out of the dining room in a normal human looking way, before sweeping her up in her arms once she's out of sight and carrying her the rest of the way upstairs. That must have freaked Bella out more than a little bit.

I stay in Rosalie's head, as she must know I will, all the way up the stairs, and monitor as she gently lays Bella in the bed and helps her get settled.

"You don't have to stay with me, Rosalie," Bella says.

"No offense, Bella, but I'm better off up here,"Rosalie says with a slight chuckle.

"_I never thought the day would come when I thought,_ that,_"_ came Rose's unbidden thought. She and I both.

Bella eyes Rosalie up as she wanders around my room.

"I'm sorry about the inconvenience," Bella apologizes again. She's been apologizing to everyone. Luckily, I successfully resist the urge to sigh in front of Renee. She's already sitting over there worried about Bella and we need to set her mind at ease as soon as possible that Bella will be just fine with us so we can get rid of her.

Rosalie stays with Bella until she falls asleep, then she moves to her room, after which I really could care less what she thinks anymore, so I turn my attention back to the meal from hell. Only countless more to endure… If this isn't a testament to just how much this family loves my wife, I just don't know what is.

* * *

"Alice, I have a stupid question to ask," I say as we're 'walking off' dinner. That's our story to Renee for why we all leave the house after a meal. It sounds better than 'We have to go choke up our food because you're staying with a house full of vampires, and oh by the way, you don't mind if I keep your daughter for eternity, do you?' Carlisle and Esme have stayed behind with Renee, and of course Rosalie, who didn't eat.

"Edward, obviously I can't tell you whether or not you will be able to hear Bella after she's changed. If I could, Aro would have me chained around the neck and locked to him like a dog," she replies. This is true.

"But I _have_ heard her. I know I have," I insist. Many things make me think I'm losing my mind, but this isn't one of them. I know Bella's voice better than anyone's and she was right in front of me. I did not need to conjure her.

"When?"

"Just before she was taken into surgery and then again right after," I confess.

"When her defenses were down," Jasper murmurs. My head snaps in his direction. "You heard her when she was at her most vulnerable. If you really did hear her, Edward, then maybe she can control it somehow." He shrugs as we continue to run back towards the house. We decided to do a little hunting while we were out here. Better to be safe than sorry.

"Eleazar would know," Jasper continues. I can't believe I didn't think of that before. Eleazar had been with the Volturi before he'd left to find his own path, and his talent is identifying other talents. But until we went to Italy, I hadn't thought of this as a potential talent. "You should ask him to come down after Renee leaves and see what he says. It's worth a shot."

"Everyone_ would probably come with him,"_ Alice snickers in her head. _"I'd love to see Tanya's reaction to Bella."_

More like Bella's reaction to Tanya. Then again, she doesn't know that there is any kind of history between Tanya and I. Of course, there isn't much to tell. Tanya was interested and I declined as politely as I could. But that, of course, is all Bella needs. Finding out that Carlisle had originally intended that Rosalie was to be for me sent Bella's brain, and ego, into outer-space; the discovery that Tanya was interested in me as well and that I could be with her right now if I wanted to, something which I never have and never will want, would probably set her hair on fire.

But Jasper has definitely given me enough to think about. Calling Eleazar is definitely a good idea. I speed up as the house comes into view, anxious to check on Bella and talk to Carlisle about Jasper's theory.


	38. Chapter 38

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Sorry for the wait. I had it rolling around in my head, but I didn't have the actual **_**time**_** to type it out. Hope it's worth it! **_

_**For those of you that have wanted a longer chapter, you get your wish here.**_

_**Thank you my wonderful beta!**_

* * *

EPOV

"Keep your feet firmly planted to the Earth."

"_I look like an idiot."_ Rosalie is unhappy.

"This position is called the Downward Facing Dog." Renee is showing Rosalie yoga in the living room. You can imagine how unthrilled Rosalie is.

"Yoga is great relaxation, Rosalie," Renee says evenly, comfortable in Rosalie's glowering presence. "You're so very tense."

"_I'll show that crazy hippie tense."_

I chuckle and head for the stairs to check on Bella. I'll be saving Rosalie soon. I need to drive Renee to the school to sign some paperwork for a home tutor for Bella before she leaves tomorrow. When I arrive outside my door, I hear Jasper and Emmett inside with her. They're watching a documentary on the Civil War. Bella is in the bed, Jasper is sitting next to her and Emmett is splayed across the bottom of the bed reading Sports Illustrated.

"I don't understand." Bella frowns in confusion. "How did the women _wear_ that stuff? Wasn't it totally uncomfortable?"

"Yes," Jasper confirms. "And it weighed quite a bit too. If they fell in a lake while wearing those petticoats and skirts, they'd sink right to the bottom."

Bella looks a little frustrated at him, like she can't decide whether or not to believe him.

"And those corsets weren't the easiest pieces of attire to manipulate either."

"And just how did you need to manipulate them, Jasper?" Emmett asks artlessly, lowering his magazine.

"Shut up," Jasper replies.

"Was someone not so much the Southern Gentleman he leads some to believe?" Emmett continues to needle Jasper who growls at Emmett and Bella chuckles.

"I don't mind, Jasper," she says. "I won't tell Alice."

"If you two _must_ know," Jasper says between his teeth, "as the only brother of two sisters, they made me be the one to lace those bone-crushers up every day because I could pull the laces the tightest. They weren't satisfied unless they were tighter than a drum."

"Yeah, right," Emmett mutters looking back to his magazine.

"You had sisters?" Bella smiles.

"An older one and younger one," Jasper confirms.

"What were their names?"

"Emma was the oldest and Grace was the youngest."

"What did you do before you joined the army?"

"My father had a tobacco plantation," Jasper explains.

"Tobacco in Texas?"

"Tobacco in North Carolina."

"I thought you were from Texas?" Bella frowns.

"I was stationed in Texas. My family had a plantation outside of Raleigh."

"Wow," Bella says softly. "Did they…you know?"

"Did they what?"

"Did your family, you know, own slaves?" She looks uncomfortable asking, but obviously can't help herself. She's always too curious.

"Yes," he laughs.

"Wow," she breathes out again and Emmett chuckles at her astonishment and naiveté. She shoves at his shoulder. "Well what about _you_?"

"What about me?"

"What about your family?" She asks. "Where are you from? Did you have any brothers or sisters?"

Emmett tosses his magazine aside and looks up at her. "My father was a rum runner during Prohibition. I worked as a bartender in a Speak Easy in New York. My sister was a girl of…loose morals…and when she disappeared mysteriously, I became a boxer and made my money fighting. I was really good and caught the attention of a certain crime family that made a little money off of my fights. After a 'questionable outcome' of a fight, I took off. I was on the lam in Appalachia when Rosalie found me being mauled by a bear. After I was changed, I went back to New York and slaughtered the crime family."

Bella's jaw is dropped open; Jasper is rolling his eyes.

The only part of that that's true is Rosalie finding him while he was being attacked by a bear.

Bella closes her mouth and scrutinizes him closely.

"You made that up," she finally accuses.

"What tipped you off?" he tried to play innocent and she kicked him with her good leg.

"Seriously now."

"I was an only child. We lived in Pittsburgh. My father was a steelworker. When he died in an accident at the yard, my mother and I went to live with my grandparents. I spent a lot of time on my own. _That_ is when Rosalie found me."

That's more like it.

"I can see why you go with the rum runner story." She nods.

"This is what I'm saying," Emmett says, returning to his magazine.

"Are you two annoying my wife?" I demand with a smirk. Said wife smiles up at me.

"What else is there to do?" Emmett mutters.

"I don't know, but you're not doing it here anymore," I shoot back.

"So unfair."

"I want to hear more about Jasper's sisters," Bella complains as Jasper stands up.

"They were precocious, bitchy, spoiled, beautiful, and I miss them every day," Jasper says.

"Yeah, they sound great," Emmett says after a pause.

"Let's go find something to do," Jasper replies rolling his eyes. Instead of leaving through the door to go down to the living room, they hop out the window. They're trying to avoid Renee.

I balance myself easily over Bella, one arm on either side of her and she reaches up and strokes my face. Her touch is amazing and I close my eyes against the fire of it.

"How are you feeling?" I ask.

"Like I'm ready to get out of this bed," she returns.

"Later, when Carlisle is here," I promise. Carlisle is acting as both doctor and physical therapist. While I acknowledge that she needs to move around, I am too nervous to do it without Carlisle's direction…and access to pain reducing medication for her.

"Just for a couple of minutes," she pleads. "What if you just brought me as far as the living room? I won't even try to walk; you can carry me the whole way." She puts a pout on and my restraint is slipping. "You'll make sure I don't exert myself, and I promise not to mope when you leave with Renee. You can bring me back up here."

"Okay," I cave. Is there nothing I won't give this girl?

"I love you so much!" she smiles brightly and pulls on my silent heartstrings.

"Yeah, yeah," I sigh in defeat. She tosses her arms around my neck as I gently slide her into my arms, winding them around her with the protectiveness of a steel cage. She tucks her head under my chin and I smile to myself. One little gesture has made her so happy. When we enter the living room, I see yoga is finished. Rosalie is nowhere in sight and Renee is reading on the couch.

"You're looking well, baby." She smiles at Bella. _"How is it that he manages to carry her down the stairs so effortlessly? He doesn't look like he's straining at all." _Well, I'll just chalk that up to being 17. There are just some things Renee has noticed.

"I can sit by you at the piano," she suggests hopefully. Ah ha. I see her ploy now.

"You little devil," I murmur.

"You did promise," she counters.

"So, I did."

I settle her down at the piano and Renee's excitement grows. "Bella tells me you're a beautiful pianist, Edward, are you going to play?"

"It would seem so."

I sit down at the piano and Bella leans her head on my shoulder with a sigh. The long-neglected pearl keys shine up at me, but this is not a skill I lose, no matter how long I may be away from it. Claire de Lune falls from my fingers. Bella was expecting her lullaby, I'm sure, but I choose this as a gift to Renee, whose mind goes curiously blank as she listens to one of her favorite pieces. Esme is instantaneously in the living room, her thoughts gushing as they always do when I play. She joins Renee on the couch and my impromptu concert continues.

Bella's arms wrap around my waist and for a minute, I forget all about the two other people in the room with us. This moment in time could not possibly get more perfect. It is just she and I, and I'm playing for her because it is something we both love. I'm peripherally aware of Esme beckoning Renee to the kitchen. They will still be able to hear in there, but Bella and I will have a bit of privacy. It's been too long since we've been truly alone, and we're not now unfortunately, but the attempt was made.

"You'll tell everyone at school that I said hello?" she asks.

"I doubt anyone will really talk to me," I chuckle. "I have no idea what I'm going to do all day."

"Whatever you did before I came along."

"It was boring; I was bored."

"Alice will be with you."

"Alice was bored, too."

"Somehow, you'll survive."

"It won't be any fun," I mutter petulantly under my breath. And it won't be. Nothing is fun without Bella. If she's not with me, there's no point to anything else. What's the point to high school if she's not going to be there? Why bother enduring anything that she's not a direct part of?

"I'll miss you though. Every second." She squeezes me more tightly and presses her face to my shoulder. "Make sure you drive extra fast."

"Well, that's not something you hear every day," I say with a laugh, bringing my song to a close. It is; unfortunately, time to take Renee to the school.

"I will," She insists.

"As will I," I agree, kissing her. I will never tire of the reaction she stirs in me, the consuming hunger and urges spawned from deep within. It's supposed to be many times more powerful than what she would feel. I'll have a bit of explaining to do when she's changed and she discovers I've been holding out on her. I pull away with a slight groan. I know _she_ thinks this is easy for me, but it feels like I'm pulling chains out of concrete, not that that is actually difficult for me, but you understand the comparison.

"Hurry," she whispers. Her wish is always my command.

"Would you like to stay down here while I'm gone?" I offer.

"Yes, please," she smiles.

"All right." I move her to the couch and settle her in with her favorite blanket, handing her the remote control. "You let Esme know if you have any problem at all." She nods. "_Any_ problems," I repeat.

I kiss her with the typical desperation I feel whenever I'm going to be parted from her for any length of time. It always makes me anxious not to be with her. But really, can you blame me? It's not like anything good ever happens while I'm gone. I give her one more kiss on her forehead and escape to the kitchen.

Renee is ready. She calls out a goodbye to Bella and smiles when I open the passenger side door for her.

"_So charming; such a gentleman. No wonder he makes Charlie crazy."_

It's tough to really control my speed, I do my best, but she thinks I drive too fast anyway. It's lunchtime at the school when we arrive and kids are scattered all over. It's a bit surprising when I'm mobbed as soon as I step out of the car. All girls, of course, gushing with concern for Bella. Alice, who has been back to school for a few days, arches an eyebrow at me.

"_Maybe he needs a hug."_

"_Maybe he'll get tired of waiting for her to get better."_

"_Maybe he'll be looking for comfort."_

"Edward!" Finally, a familiar and actually friendly voice. Angela Weber runs over to Renee and I; Alice is behind her. "How is Bella today?"

"_Who cares about Bella?! Maybe he needs a shoulder, or another body part, to cry on."_

"She's well, thank you," I reply, looking only at Angela. "Have you met Bella's mother, Renee? Renee, this is Angela Weber."

"Oh yes," Renee gushes hugging Angela. "Bella has told me so much about you!"

Alice walks us to the office where Renee speaks with the principal and I'm the unwilling center of attention. One or two girls seem actually concerned about Bella, but most are only after me. It's incredibly uncomfortable.

Bella has completely softened my image. I went from completely undatable to possibly within reach and that's dangerous, not to mention that it puts me completely out of my comfort zone. But these girls see me differently now. Instead of seeing the carefully constructed ferocious façade, they see the suffering boyfriend.

_Finally_, Renee emerges from the office with Alice. _"Well, isn't he Mr. Popularity?"_ She studies me carefully. Renee has a way of making me want to squirm. Chief Swan never did that, but Renee often gives me the feeling that I have to explain myself. _"He looks very uncomfortable, awkward almost. How a boy that looks like he does could ever be unsure of himself is a mystery, but then again, there are a lot of mysteries to this family."_

Great. Just as long as she doesn't ask those questions out loud, I won't be forced to lie. As politely I can, I extricate myself from the swarm of girls and do my best to ignore the disappointed and few vulgar thoughts of comfort. Renee laughs at my obvious discomfort and waves goodbye to Alice and Angela from the car.

She finally breaks the silence.

"You could date any one of them," she notes.

"They hold no interest for me," I say softly, not taking my eyes from the road.

"What is it about Bella?"

"Everything," I answer honestly. I can lie better than Bella can, but I respectfully try and keep my answers as close to the truth as possible. Renee did bring Bella into the world, so I will always be grateful to her.

"She wasn't this popular in Phoenix."

"That's what she says." I'm interested to see where this conversation goes. Bella doesn't usually share too much about her life in Phoenix.

"I think she could have been," Renee continues. "There were certainly plenty of boys that were interested in dating her." I am not the least bit surprised to hear that. "She couldn't seem to find where she fit in. She couldn't find a common interest with the other kids. She's more mature for her age. That's my fault, I know. I think maybe the other kids were intimidated by her. She's very smart and she has a quiet, subtle beauty."

"There's nothing subtle about it," I disagree.

"She loves you, very much."

"Yes, I know."

"And you certainly wear your heart on your sleeve, Edward."

"There is no one on this planet more important to me."

"I believe you," she says simply. "Take care of her, Edward. She's using all of her energy to keep up with you."

I frown in response to that. It's true, of course. Renee's simple view of life strikes again. "I try. She's not always the easiest to take care of."

"I feel better knowing that you're looking out for her, Edward; that you'll _always_ look out for her. You will always look out for her, won't you?"

"Quite frankly, Renee, I think that is why I was created," I say with a somewhat exasperated breath. "I've never encountered anyone that gets in as much trouble as she does."

"Good," she nods to herself. _"Now that THAT'S taken care of…"_ Renee is a very intriguing mind. I'll miss her when she's gone, and I mean that for both the immediate _and_ the distant future. "How hard is this car to drive?"

"I'm sorry?" I reply.

"I need to go and see Charlie before I leave," she explains. "I understand you're not a fan of the Blacks, so I don't want to ask you to go. Not that I blame you, Billy's always been a bit of a pain in the ass. But I used to live here, I know how to get over there, I don't need anyone to drive me, just a car. I can't drive stick though, so I can't use Bella's truck."

"It's a very comfortable car to drive. I bought it for Bella; she doesn't want to drive it though."

"It's a little too flashy for her," Renee concedes. "With Bella, less is always more."

"I wish that wasn't the case," I confess.

"Bella just wants to make people happy, Edward. You make her happy; you light her up. You're a good match for her."

"I'm glad that you approve," I respond with a smile as I'm turning into our driveway.

"You don't have to drive all the way up to the house on my account, Edward. I promise I won't watch you go the rest of the way to the house. I know how much you…like your exercise."

Well, I'll be damned.

No pun intended.

I stare at her incredulously. Not only did I not have any warning of a thought like that from her, there are no follow up thoughts surrounding it and that's only natural. I figured Bella got her silence from her dad. Sometimes it's hard to hear Charlie and I've never had a problem hearing Renee.

At least, I didn't _think_ I did.

But she looks at me expectantly now. So, without saying another word, I stop the car where we are and come around to her side to open her door for her. She taps my cheek and doesn't flinch at the cold or stone feel of it. "You're a good boy," she says.

I try and puzzle out what exactly just happened. Does she know? Did she figure it out like her daughter did, or does she know just enough to let the rest slide? And moreover, how can she not have any thoughts on it? Or did she figure that out too? I turn to the house as she backs away. She's going to see Charlie now. What will she tell him? Will she say anything? And if she does, what will the wolves do?

I race back to the house, back to Bella. I can hear the thoughts of my family inside and nothing sounds amiss. Bella fell asleep on the couch. Esme is preparing her dinner. Rosalie is in the garage. Alice, Jasper and Emmett are out somewhere and Carlisle is at the hospital still. I think I'll wait to talk to Carlisle about my theory on Renee. It's probably best to wait until she's safely gone, though I can't imagine anyone in the family wanting to hurt her. At this rate we should just take out a billboard to advertise our presence for all the good that trying to stay low key is actually doing us.


	39. Chapter 39

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews! I LOVE them! Thank you for everyone that adds me to your lists. That feels cool too!**_

_**I'm giving you ample warning: This is story is starting to wind down. I'm not sure exactly how many chapters are left, a handful, but I am starting to bring it to a close.**_

_**Also, this chapter is for my wonderful beta who wanted to see what Renee would have to say for herself. ;)**_

* * *

RENEE'S POV

Billy's house hasn't changed in 17 years. I'm not surprised, _Forks_ hasn't changed in 17 years, exactly as I feared when I fled it with Bella all those years ago. I've always been a free spirit, which is why I didn't see the danger at the time that I got married. Charlie was dashing, and funny, and utterly devoted to me. And I lived in the moment.

But when Bella came, suddenly there was this whole other being with an entire life ahead of her, full of possibilities; possibilities Forks couldn't begin to encompass. I didn't want her to grow up in a small town, with small town dreams, and small minded people who thought that Port Angeles was an exciting night out. There was so much that she could do and so much that _I_ wanted to do with her.

And so that was it. I begged Charlie to let me go and he did. I will always love him for showing me the ultimate gesture of love: If you love something, set it free.

Billy and Charlie have been friends forever. We went through school together, double dated, stood up for each other's weddings. But I was never much of a fan of Billy, something about him always creeped me out. Maybe it was those weird stories he used to tell. But I was young and thought that Charlie was my world; so I tolerated my husband's bro-mance as women often do.

I was sad when Bella chose to move here. I saw her falling into my old patterns and felt powerless to stop it. Her mind was made up though, trying, as always, to do whatever made everyone else happy. That's what Bella thought happiness was, watching other people's joy and not thinking that she was deserving of it herself. I didn't think there was anybody more selfless than my Bella.

Until I met Edward.

When she first told me about him, I was horrified that she was running blindly down the same path I had. He was a small town boy. Seventeen year old girls always thought the sun rose and set on their boyfriends, they were the smartest, cutest, funniest boys a girl could nab.

All my prejudices changed though when I actually met him in Phoenix. He may have _lived_ in a small town, but Edward was anything _but_ small town. Not only was he quite frankly the most good looking boy I'd ever seen, but he _was_ the smartest as well. He has the financial resources to show Bella the world. To make sure that she is never someone defined by their career, but rather their life experiences.

And he loves her. Oh my, how he loves her. I was concerned about the intensity of their feelings. It is stronger and deeper than anything I've ever witnessed in people their age. My fears that Bella was making my same mistakes melted away when I saw them together. I can say with absolute certainty that though I loved Charlie, I never looked at him the way Bella looks at Edward. He _is_ her sun and her moon; she doesn't just _think_ that he is. He takes care of her, and Bella doesn't let _anybody_ take care of her.

They are two halves of the same whole. I don't know what happened in Phoenix last year or what sent her there, but I know that it certainly wasn't any argument with Edward.

As I walk back toward Edward's obnoxiously fancy car, an uneasy feeling creeps over me, like I'm being watched. La Push has always freaked me out. It's almost like the forest has eyes.

I see Jacob Black approaching the Mercedes with a furious glare. He looks like he's going to slash the tires. He starts to jog towards the house, but stops short when he sees me in front of him.

"Jacob," I greet simply. He cocks his head to the side, no doubt wondering how I knew who he was. "I'm Renee, Bella's mother."

Recognition crosses his tense face; his eyes narrow into slits. "Is Dr. Cullen here?"

"No. Are you expecting him?"

"That's one of their cars." He nods his head towards Edward's car. I don't like the inflection he used on the word 'their.' I see immediately where Bella gets her impressions of his attitude towards her from. She doesn't seem to know what to make of him; why he acts the way he does towards her.

"I borrowed it to come see Charlie."

"Alone?"

I will admit to the fact that I rarely act my age, however, I am not used to being spoken to like this by teenagers who are not my daughter.

I glare at him until he visibly squirms. This works on Edward all the time. Being a mom definitely has its perks.

"Can I do something for you?" He asks with a bit more respect.

"Yes," I say. "You can stop meddling in my daughter's relationship." I can tell he wasn't expecting that. Perhaps he was expecting to ask me to help get Charlie out to the car, or move things around in the house.

"I'm…sorry?" he croaks.

"I know you think you mean well, Jacob, and I am well versed in the effects of teenage hormones, but I would appreciate your keeping your distance from my daughter. She's an only child, you are not her brother and she has parents who will look after her, as well as a boyfriend who will walk off the edge of Earth for her. If you love her, if you truly were in love with her, you would only want her to be happy and you would be able to see that Edward makes her happy. I am not without a certain amount of empathy for the situation, if you know what I mean…" His eyes widen and that confirms that I was right. There _is_ something more going on here. "…but it's time to take your 16 year old arrogance and step away. Channel that energy to something more productive. You're too young for all this anger and hate."

He has absolutely no idea what to make of me. I leave him with that. I step around him and get into the driver's side. Edward was right; this car _is_ comfortable to drive. I give him a little wave and drive off into the mist.

I suddenly feel liberated and empowered. I'm not sure I ever actually felt that way, even when I left Forks because then I was running away from the trap I thought I was in. I don't regret my decision. I rarely have regrets. I feel light, like I did my daughter a service; a lioness protecting her cub. _I_ was the mother this time.

And I had a wonderful talk with Charlie, the kind we used to have; parent to parent, discussing the needs of our child and what was in her best interests. He is different now. Having Bella full-time has changed him, softened his edges. He was always a man's man, but Bella gets her quiet nature from her father. They seem to have opened each other up a bit. I feel bad for denying them so much time together. I could have made sure that she spent more than two measly weeks a year with him, but I was trying to assert some sort of control and make 'adult decisions.' Bella said she didn't want to spend more time here, and I was respecting my daughter's wishes. However, what Bella _wanted_ and what she _needed_ are two very different things. I wasn't being the parent; I was being the friend.

That changed today.

And she has her new, curious, family. They seem to feel very passionately about her. I get the impression that the time will come very soon when only Esme will be able to be the kind of mother that Bella will need. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to understand the experiences before her, or will even be privy to knowledge of them. But I feel secure in knowing that Edward and the rest of his family will be there to guide her in the ways of their unconventional life.

* * *

EPOV

"_Slow down, son, slow down."_

Carlisle sits behind his desk in his hospital office as I pace before him, rambling on about my theories about Bella's mother. After I dropped in at the house to check on Bella – she was still sleeping – I came right here to dump it all at Carlisle's feet.

"Carlisle, she figured it out!"

"Who?"

"Renee. She knows what we are. Well, maybe not what we _are_, but that we're something."

I explain again our conversation in the car and Carlisle's lip twitches a bit. "Really, are you surprised? Bella had to have gotten that intuitive nature of hers from somewhere."

"We're supposed to be inconspicuous," I reminded him.

"Apparently we're not to that family."

"I'm glad you can joke. I won't have Bella and her family at risk. Bella is being changed; Renee is not."

"Edward, over the years occasionally people have guessed right, or close to right, and we've simply moved on. It's not like Bella and Renee are the first ones to figure it out; Bella is just the only one we've ever confirmed it to. If Renee has not confronted you or anyone else on her _possible_ hypothesis, I don't think she intends to. After all, Bella promised not to expose us the day the van accident, _before_ you were together. Renee is not about to let anything bad happen to her daughter. It doesn't sound like Renee has given you any reason for this fear."

This is true. I tend to overreact. Melodramatic is what Rosalie likes to call it.

"Now, I'm actually glad you came to visit. I need to talk to you and I didn't want to do it at home," he says, ending the Renee portion of the discussion. This is curious.

"This issue took the back burner when Bella and Charlie were in their accident," he says. _"I went back to my testing and Edward, I'm near certain you're fertile."_

My eyes widen and I stop my pacing. I haven't given this a single thought since Bella's accident.

"Carlisle, Bella is no condition --"

"No, she's not," he agrees. "I'm merely confirming that it's possible. Our first step was to determine whether or it was possible, and I'm telling you it is. What you do with that information is up to you. I will, of course, not share it with anyone else unless and until you choose to. If you decide to move forward with it, we'll discuss safety."

Luckily, this is one decision I do not have to make. Not only is Bella not healthy enough to carry a child, but she's not healthy enough for any other…activities.

"_Well, that certainly switched your gears, didn't it?"_

I focus on my father unblinking, not really able to form a full thought. It has certainly been an enlightening day.

* * *

EMMETT'S POV

Bella is just hanging up her cell phone when I enter Edward's room.

"I'm dead bored and its lunch time," I announce.

"What, so you figured you'd come and eat me?" she counters. She's getting very quick-witted with Jasper and I. It's fun; I'm so proud.

"No, I'm coming to see what _you_ want to eat for lunch, smart ass."

She arches one eyebrow at me. "_You're_ going to make me lunch?"

Busted. "Okay, so no. But I'll bring you down to the kitchen," I reply. Even when I was human I didn't know how to prepare food. What is she, crazy? Actually, that's a yes.

She looks at me for a long, drawn out moment, thinking something over, concocting a plan that's sure to get me trouble, I bet. This one is very crafty when she wants to be.

"You know what I would _love_, Emmett?" she bats her eyelashes and widens her eyes all innocently.

"What's that?"

Wait for it.

"Pizza."

See?

"There's no pizza here," I say. She sighs heavily. "Quit the theatrics. You're getting as melodramatic as Edward and he's already won the family Oscar for that."

"Please, Emmett," she begs. "Please, please, please, pllleeeeassse drive me into town to the pizzeria so I can have a nice, gooey, drippy, greasy pizza?"

I curl up my lip. That sounds totally disgusting.

"Edward will have my hide. And what's worse, Esme will have a meltdown over it too."

She sticks her lip out and looks down at her hands. Her voice gets real quiet as she speaks. "I understand. I was just excited by the prospect of getting out of the house and getting a little fresh air."

Yeah right; like I'm going to fall for that.

"I'll order it and go get it for you."

"It'll be cold by the time you get back."

"Hey, I may not be as fast as Edward, but there's no need to be all offensive about it. It will _not_ be cold." I insist.

"I understand if you're scared of getting in trouble. I'm sorry I put you in that position. I'm sure Rose will take me."

_That_ was hitting below the belt.

"Fine. Where's your coat?"

I'll show her. _Nobody_ calls me chicken.

Her face lights up. She even bounces up and down a bit. I can't say I blame her. Being stuck in the house sucks. I should know; I'm a vampire. And a bored one to boot. Edward and Esme _are_ going to be pissed, but really, they should have known better than to leave me in charge.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

She hobbles over to the corner and grabs her coat, wallet and cell phone. She's getting pretty good at getting around now. I don't let her do the stairs though, but run her down to the garage and get her settled into my Jeep. At least I can say I didn't run her through the cold forest. I'm going to need all the points in my favor that I can score.

My driving terrifies her, of course, but she's not going to complain since I'm aiding and abetting a fugitive. I'm loath to slow down as we hit the main streets of Forks, but I feel bad taking advantage of Charlie when he's not around.

There're some boys from school at the pizzeria when we get there. They're all over her, of course. I recognize some, but once I seat her down in a booth, they back off a bit; well, at least they sit down at the table across from us.

"You look great, Bella," Mike Newton smiles widely. I wonder if it's because Edward isn't with her.

"Thanks, Mike." She smiles. "It's good to be up and around."

See, when she smiles like that, so genuine and happy it's hard not to cave and give her what she wants. But there's another shoe that has yet to drop here. There _always_ is with her.

The boys idly catch her up on the gossip from school. She looks uncomfortable being the center of attention, and they keep one wary eye on me the entire time. I haven't said a word since we came in. I just sit here and look mean. I should get something out of this, right?

When Bella's putrid, gloppy, artery hardening mess shows up, I can't help but show my disgust, but she rolls her eyes at me and dives in, devouring three pieces. We're all impressed. I mean, she's this little tiny thing. I don't know where she puts all that.

"All right. Let's go," I say as soon as it looks like she's finished eating. The boys immediately stop their ridiculous chatter. The waitress brings over a box for the rest of the pie. This is going to make my Jeep reek. The waitress smiles widely at me. I recognize her. She was a senior at the high school when we first started there. She's 'older' than me.

"Hi, Emmett," she coos.

Whaaat?? Edward's right. Being around Bella does soften our image. That's not good. I throw her an annoyed look, just, you know, because. She looks offended.

I take Bella's gross lunch in one hand and her elbow in the other and lead her out of the restaurant as she smiles and waves to her classmates. She inhales deeply as we get outside into the fresh air. Yeah, I can't blame her. It _is_ nice to be outside.

"Emmett, do you mind if we sit on that bench over there for a little bit?" She points over to the police station. Well, that's harmless enough. It's just across the street. I'm surprised one of our phones haven't rung yet. Alice must have seen this escape.

I help her hobble over to the bench and sit down next to her.

Bor-ing.

But then I smell it. I start growling low in my stomach. She actually shushes me. "It's just Sam," she hisses quietly, _before he even comes into view_ I should note.

Sam Uley emerges from the trees to the side of the police station. Neither one of them are surprised to see each other. She planned this.

I can hear the 'thud' from that other shoe falling.

I. Am. A. Dead. Man.


	40. Chapter 40

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended**_

_**Thanks for the reviews and to my awesome beta.**_

* * *

BPOV

"I will _never_ speak to you again," Emmett hisses next to me. "Do you understand me? It will take decades, maybe _centuries_ for me to get over this. I will bide my time to extract my revenge. Just when you think I've forgotten, I will bring the retribution. And it will be humiliating."

"I had to talk to him and he trusts you," I mutter out of the corner of my mouth to Emmett.

"He does _not_ trust me," Emmett insists. "Never make that assumption, Bella. We do _not_ trust each other.

"Okay, then at the very least he knows _you_ aren't going to hurt me. You passed the test in his eyes."

"I am not the family negotiator."

"This has nothing to do with that; it's about Charlie." I turn and give him my best pleading face, begging him to understand and not whip me out of there right that second. "I have to see Charlie, Emmett, he's my father and we're not exactly in any condition to drive to each other. The only way to accomplish this is for the request to come directly from _me._"

"There will be no warnings, Bella," he growls out. "The second, I mean the very nanosecond he says something that I take exception to; we are out of here. Do you understand?"

"Just give me a chance," I plead. When Sam approaches the bench, Emmett makes an exaggerated show of turning away from him and assuming a statue-like pose.

"Bella," Sam nods.

"Thank you for coming, Sam. I really appreciate it." I smile at him. "Would you mind sitting down? It's hard to look up at you that high."

He nods and sits down at the other end of the bench from Emmett, who without looking, puts his arms around my waist and slides me the inches in between us until I'm right up against his cold side.

"You said you needed to speak with me," Sam opens the conversation. He may not appear as outwardly aggressive as Emmett is right now, but he is not at all comfortable sitting this close to him either.

"I need to see Charlie," I say; Emmett hisses low in his throat. "I am willing to come there, but you can imagine I won't be allowed to come alone. Also, I have a favor to ask the wolves." Sam looks at me expectantly, reserving his answer until he hears everything I have to say. "You asked me once if I intended to join the Cullens in immortality; I do."

"Aw, fuck, Bella," Emmett groans.

"It is my decision. I didn't come to it lightly and it was met with quite a bit of resistance from Edward. We'll leave to do it, if we have to. But I won't be able to see Charlie for a while afterwards, if ever again, and I need the Pack's promise to keep him safe. I want to be able to see him before I do leave to…to say goodbye." My voice gets choked up at the end. And no way am I telling him about the Volturi's ultimatum.

"I have the utmost respect for Chief Swan. He has always been good to us on the Reservation. As a human, he of course falls under the Pack's protection. And even if for some reason he didn't, Billy Black would ensure his safety through us," Sam says patiently. I sense disappointment looming. "But Bella, _you_ have to understand something, the treaty isn't just something you can bend to your mood. You have already taken liberties with it that have not been yours to take. You have put both sides in precarious positions. If it wasn't for the respect that we have for Charlie, and Jacob's…confusion…

over his feelings for you, the consequences of those liberties would have already been enforced."

"Speaking of Jacob," I counter. "If anyone has put the two sides in precarious positions, it's him, Sam. All I've ever done is _move_ here. Jacob has kissed me when he knew he was unwelcome to, made demands upon me that he has had no business making, taken complete advantage of my father's lifelong friendship with Billy and generally acted like some sort of jilted ex-boyfriend. Your mighty Pack has proven incapable of protecting me from _him_."

"Yes, I'm sorry about that, Bella," Sam admits with what looks like genuine remorse. "You see, Jacob believes he's imprinted upon you."

What?

Emmett finally decides to join the conversation…unfortunately.

"I'm sorry," he says in a low and even tone of voice. "He thinks he's _what_ upon her?"

"Imprinted," Sam remains calm and collected. "It's difficult to explain. It's not exactly love at first sight; it's much stronger than that. It's when one person becomes the absolute center of your universe. You love them so much that even if they hate every fiber of your being, you want nothing more than their happiness and safety. That one person, no matter who they are, no matter what their age, is essential to your makeup. Whatever other relationships you are in do not matter anymore. You are pulled to that one person by something like gravitational force."

He looks almost regretful as he explains this phenomenon. But he doesn't have to explain this to me.

"That's my Edward," I whisper. "All the roads I could possibly take in my life, lead me to him. All the decisions I make, lead me to him. _He_ is what brought me here, Sam. I was born for him; he was changed 80 years ago _for me_. If what you say is true, then you of all people should understand that. And if this event _did_ occur in Jacob, then _he_ should understand it too and just let me be."

"That would be true, if he did imprint on you. He has not. He _thinks_ he has, or that he will, but he hasn't. We can tell. If he had, he would never act the way he has. Please understand, Bella, I'm not excusing his behavior. I just want you to understand that he believes he has a good reason behind it."

Sam stands up and looks down to where I am sitting. Emmett stands in response. "I will allow you to come and see your father, if I can choose the escort." Emmett growls in answer to Sam's curious condition.

"Anyone," I nod. I prefer Edward, but any of the Cullens are equally up to the task.

"Bring the mood changer," Sam says. "At least he can keep tensions low." I nod in agreement.

Jasper it is.

I hope.

"I cannot give you an answer at this time about your other request. I must meet with the elders first. It's a very unique situation and one that I can't say I didn't see coming." Then Sam disappears into the woods. I already feel lighter knowing I'll get to see Charlie.

I turn and smile at Emmett, momentarily forgetting how pissed he is at me. He is not smiling. In fact, he looks pretty ferocious. "Let's. Go. Now."

I can't argue with that. But I'd much rather stay with him while he's in this sort of mood, even endure whatever humiliating revenge he's plotting for me. Anything is better than what's waiting for me at home.

He wraps his arm around me and to the casual observer, it looks like he's helping me to the Jeep, but believe me, my feet aren't touching the ground right now. He tears away, not mindful of his speed this time. You can cut the tension in the car with a knife. Still, I much prefer this to what I'm about to get from Edward.

"Emmett…" I begin, but he cuts me off.

"I don't even know where to begin! I can't believe you would do that to me. Me! We're buddies, Bella! I have always been your defender. I have always looked out for you. I have always made sure you had something to laugh about." Okay, that one stung a bit. It's true. He does always make me smile. He continues his rant. "Do you _know_ what they are going to do to me when we get home? You think _you're_ in trouble? I could have spun the pizza thing, but the werewolf? And Jasper, Jasper's going to kick your ass. He is going to be _unthrilled_ about going to LaPush, Bella, that's if you can even get Edward to agree to it and good luck with that!"

We're pulling up to the house now. My eyes are brimming with tears and I feel absolutely awful for deceiving Emmett like that. But I _have_ to see Charlie! He's my father and I miss him. If I weren't so hopped up on painkillers at the time, I would have argued with him going to stay with the Blacks.

Everybody is outside. We made it home just in time for Renee to leave for the airport. Carlisle is loading her suitcases into the trunk of the Mercedes and Jasper is standing by the driver's side. Edward is nowhere in sight. I don't know if I'm relieved or if that makes me more worried.

"There they are!" Carlisle calls out when Emmett stops the car and I open my door. Alice comes to my side to help me.

"Edward is so mad, he can't speak," she warns me quietly as she wraps her arms around my waist and helps me stand. My mother comes and wraps me in a hug. I cling to her in return. This is the last hug I'll ever be able to give her and I refuse to let go first.

"I almost thought for a minute that you weren't going to make it back in time," she says. "Don't cry, honey. You knew I had to go sometime and you're definitely in good hands here."

"I'll miss you so much, mom," I whimper, clutching her tighter.

She pulls away just far enough to look in my eyes. She takes my chin delicately in her fingers. "Esme will be here for you; I'm sure of it." Whoa, what? "They all care about you so much, and Edward loves you very much."

"Um…I'm sorry he's not here to say goodbye…" I stammer out.

"I've already said goodbye to him," she waves dismissively. "He had an errand to run. He'll take good care of you, Bella." Yeah, maybe after Carlisle puts the pieces back together… "I love you, baby. Please call whenever you can."

I choke out my goodbye to my mother. Esme comes and puts her arm lovingly around me. My mother is right; Esme _will_ be there for me. She is, after all, my mother-in-law. For the moment anyway.

I turn and sob against Esme. I can't even watch as Jasper pulls away with my mother in the car. My breath starts to come in short gasps and I'm turned gently around and strong, familiar arms envelope me. He may be pissed at me, but he's not about to let me go through this alone. I so don't deserve him.

He doesn't say a word, but gently strokes my hair and kisses my forehead until I calm down a bit.

"_You've_ got some explaining to do," Esme turns on Emmett.

"It's not his fault; he just thought he was taking me for pizza," I say pulling away from Edward's chest enough so that I can see the others.

"_Just_ pizza?" Esme asks confused. Then I remember that because of Sam's presence, Alice wouldn't have seen that.

Uh-oh. Emmett locks gazes with Edward. Edward finally speaks.

"SAM ULEY!?" he thunders. Dollars to donuts Sam actually heard that.

I am in so much trouble. I deserve it. I look up into Edward's furious onyx eyes and completely break down in crying hysterics.


	41. Chapter 41

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews and adds to your lists. I love it!**_

_**Thank you to my wonderful beta for his quick turnaround and encouragement and just generally rocking!**_

_**I'm thinking there's two, possibly three, probably not four more chapters left. I guess it depends how wordy I get. This chapter is one of my wordier ones. Hope you don't mind. ;)**_

* * *

EPOV

Bella sobs against my chest. I gently run my hands through her hair. At times, she has a hard time catching her breath and that worries me. I have only ever seen her so upset after our meeting with the Volturi. She went catatonic for a little while after that encounter and it completely freaked me out.

I've taken her up to our room for some semblance of privacy. She is by no means off the hook, but I just can't argue with her about it right now when she's just said goodbye to her mother.

I've got plenty to say to her on the subject though. Emmett and Esme have been going the full ten rounds since they returned.

A small part of me admires her tenacity and deviousness. When Bella has the will, she unfailingly finds a way. She is to never be underestimated. Who would have imagined that one little clumsy human girl could outwit seven vampires so often? There is a certain amount of respect that I begrudgingly have here.

Maybe that will be the talent that she carries over to her immortality. The ability to _always_ accomplish what you want would definitely be a welcomed skill to our family. I have spent countless hours pondering what she'll be like, how she'll look. Of course, I've had the benefit of Alice's visions for the latter, but still the way Bella looks in someone else's mind has never done her justice.

While she was on her little adventure with Emmett, Carlisle had a phone call from Eleazar. The Denali family will be coming down in the next few days. Adding more vampires to the mix always makes me anxious, but at least these particular vampires are vegetarians. Of course, Bella doesn't know they're coming yet. However, I'm sure the prospect of meeting more people who could kill her in less than half a second will thrill her to no end. She was overly curious about Peter and Charlotte.

She looks different today, crying fit aside. Every nuance of change in her, I see. She's gained a small amount of weight from her immobility. Not much, but I notice. Her eyes also look a little older as well, again, not much, but I can notice the difference. It's an aging that comes from gaining knowledge and wisdom, when someone has seen things they never should have seen.

Emmett replayed the entire encounter with Sam to me. I was impressed with Sam's diplomacy, though I confess I wouldn't have reacted well to the 'imprinting' confession had I been there. Though I constantly remind everyone else that Bella is willingly making this change, I forget it myself often enough. I have not taken into consideration the need for her to tie up loose ends in her human life, like saying goodbye to her parents for instance. But the whole thing has brought up a disturbing idea to me.

"Have you lost your faith in me?" I whisper against her ear. "Have you lost your faith in my ability to keep you safe, to give you what you need?"

"No." She looks up at me; her tear-filled eyes wide in surprise. "Why would you think that?"

"You were obviously so sure that I wouldn't let you see Sam that you felt you had to trick Emmett to do it," I reply.

She puts both hands on either side of my face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, Edward, no. No. I'm so sorry you interpreted it that way. I was afraid you wouldn't see it the way I did and then wouldn't let me go. I want to see my father, Edward. I want to check on him. I _need_ to. I've gotten much more attached to him since moving here than I ever thought I would. I never really realized how much I missed him or really _needed_ him until I moved here. I can't just disappear on him and he can't come to me."

"And why exactly didn't you think I was capable of understanding that if it was put to me just like that?"

She drops her eyes to her lap. I instantly regret being so…authoritative, but I quite literally lose my mind when she's in danger. She turns me into a raving lunatic. If I had known that having a mate would be this maddening I would have…well, I would have wanted one sooner is what probably would have happened.

"Does Emmett hate me?" she whimpers.

"No, but you're not going to like his revenge." He told her that he thought they were 'buddies.' Now he's planning on showing her what it really means to be his buddy, i.e. he's going to make her watch football games and baseball games and play video games with him. He wants to make her do far worse than that, but he's quickly dismissing ideas as they pop into his head as he realizes I'll be a pile of ashes before I let him do half of what he wants.

"You'll protect me, right?" She looks up at me earnestly.

"You know I will always stand between you and anything that makes you unhappy, but I really think you should take your medicine on this one, Bella."

She frowns deeply but nods. "You're right. It's only fair to Emmett. I put him in an awful position."

"And that's nothing compared to what Jasper's reaction is likely to be, love," I retort. "He's the one apparently who has to go into the wolves' den."

"I'm mostly sorry I scared you. I'm sorry about that, Edward, I am."

I let loose a half laugh and run my palm down her hair. "It won't be the last time, I'm sure." I wonder if this intense fear for her will go away after she's changed. I sweep her hair off her shoulder, exposing her delicious looking neck. Oooh, so tempting…

"What sort of punishment should I expect from you?" Her breath catches a bit as she sees the intensity of my stare.

"I'm sure I'll think of something," I whisper leaning in to kiss the graceful column of her neck.

"Yes," she squeaks. That was fairly adorable. I pepper light kisses from her ear to her collarbone, constantly in awe that this beautiful person really is intended for me. "I'm sure you will. Honestly Edward, I don't mean to make you anxious or upset. I know how things like this mess up your perspective, I swear, I do. I think my desperation just took over and I became tunnel-visioned on the task at hand."

"No kidding," I murmur, making my way across the sleek line of her collarbone, along to the other side. I balance my fists on either side of her and curl around to sample the deliciousness of the other side of her neck.

"I made Esme worry and Alice said that you were so mad you couldn't speak."

"I was a bit enraged, yes," I admit off hand as I run my tongue along her jaw. The 17 year old boy is taking over. He's become completely distracted by the stunning insanity of the body before him. I just…can't deny him at the moment. And who can blame him when faced with someone as amazing as my Bella? "I'm over it at the moment."

"I'm glad," she moans as I gently ease her back into the pillows.

I pull up for a minute and look at her sternly. "Just because I'm redirecting my heightened emotions does not mean you are not in very deep trouble. Do you understand?"

"Yes." She nods.

"I mean it, Bella."

"I promise I will endure whatever punishment you deem appropriate in silence."

My finger draws a line along her jaw and down her neck, right where my lips had just traveled. "I would be destroyed, Bella, if I were to lose you so close to when I'm about to be able to keep you forever. Can you see that? Can you comprehend at all how intricately connected to you I am? You were right in what you said to Sam. Fate did choose us. For all those long decades, I thought that I was stuck in a purgatory, but instead I was simply waiting for you. I cannot exist anymore in any world that you do not."

"I don't like it when you talk like that." She drops her fingertips against my lips. I kiss them lightly and then pull her hand away.

"But it's the way it is. I won't make you empty promises that I have no intentions of keeping. _That_ is the ultimate consequence of dangerous actions, Bella. I'm not meant for any other life." A sadness enters her eyes as she absorbs my blunt words. I don't want to be harsh, but I do not know how else to get her to take her safety seriously anymore. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

* * *

BPOV

"Oh are you a sight for sore eyes, Bells!" Charlie greets me, opening his arms wide from his position on Billy's couch. I stumble as fast as my walking cast will let me into his embrace.

"I've missed you, Dad," I cry into his shoulder.

"None of that, Bells. You know I don't know what to do with you when you cry." I rub my tears away, embarrassed by how much of a little girl I can be sometimes. Jasper helps me sit down on the couch next to my dad and then perches protectively on the arm of the couch next to me. Sam, Jacob, and Billy are all watching him closely. Jasper told me when we pulled up to the house that there were more phased wolves in the woods surrounding us.

"Where's Edward?" Charlie asks casting a glance at Jasper and then looking back at me.

"School, Dad; it's Wednesday."

"Oh, that's right. I lose track of the days with nothing to do. Of course, my daughter could come and visit me more." He gives me his fatherly glare that I don't see all that often.

"I haven't been mobile that long," I explain quickly. "Or I would have come sooner."

"Would you boys mind leaving us alone for a bit?" Charlie requests to the room at large. Sam, Jacob and Billy instantly look uncomfortable with the request.

"Would you mind if Jasper stayed, Dad?" I ask. "He'll be able to help if we need something."

"I guess so." He doesn't look too happy, but he agrees. He looks pointedly over at Billy, who sighs and gestures to Sam and Jacob.

"Sam, Jake," Billy directs. "We'll be just outside if you need anything, Charlie."

Sam and Jacob look at Jasper for a long moment before they finally leave the room with Billy. Jasper stands up and moves to the door. I suppose he's trying to provide Charlie with some semblance of privacy. I look at my dad curiously.

"Is everything alright, Dad?" I'm instantly worried. I haven't seen him in a while and I haven't been in the room for any of his conversations with his doctors. This could be anything.

"It's fine, Bells; I just wanted to talk to you about stuff. I haven't talked to you in so long," he says. "I talked to your mom before she left. She looks good."

"It's all her different fitness phases, I suppose."

"We had a long talk about you."

I actually squirm. "Really? Me?"

"We may not be married anymore; Bella, but you're still our daughter," he reminds me. He glances over at Jasper, before turning back to me. "Mainly we talked about you and Edward."

"They're taking good care of me," I rush to assure him. "And we're not staying in the same room."

"Isabella, I wasn't born yesterday," he says to me and I hear Jasper's faint chuckle. "I know they're taking good care of you. I never really addressed this before because I didn't really think I needed to, but since I'm laid up and you're staying there, it seemed like the right time."

I take a deep breath and nod, but I didn't need to calm myself down, as I feel a wave of calm settle over me. I shoot Jasper a grateful look.

"You know how your mother is," he continues. "She senses a big change coming for you." Well, that's an understatement. I try my very best not to look at Jasper. "She seems at peace with it, whatever she thinks it might be. If you run away and get married…" Too late. "…I expect to still hear from you."

"Dad." I do my best to play the exasperated teenager, but it seems both my parents have teamed up in this effort.

"Your mother seems to think you'll move away and we'll never hear from you again," he pushes. "Don't get me wrong. I like Edward; I like all the Cullens." He slides a wary glance over at Jasper who is studiously looking at the pictures on the wall. "I _do_ think he'll be able to take care of you, he's done a pretty good job of it so far, and I know he loves you."

"He does, Dad," I jump in. "He'd never hurt me."

"I believe that," Charlie assures me with a nod. "I just…I want you to promise me some things before you run away and we never see you again." I swallowed hard. I had nothing to say to that. The likelihood of me seeing either one of my parents ever again after graduation was pretty slim. "I want you to go to college."

"Dad…" I couldn't really make that promise. I wouldn't be safe to be around humans for a very long time. I suppose _eventually_ I could go.

"A girl your age, who's this serious about her boyfriend, should be able to take care of herself if the need ever arises."

"It never will," I say earnestly.

"Bella, humor your old man, all right?" I nod and he falls silent. "It's not like we're not speaking from experience here." Oh great, so they hashed it out, flipped a coin and my dad got the honor of this particular lecture. "Your mother isn't the only one who has a feeling you're going to go away for a while."

"I know it seems rash, Dad. And I know that you're worried that I'm too young and I understand where that comes from. I don't know how to allay your fears other than to just ask you to trust me. I love Edward. He makes me feel wonderful and cherished and beautiful. He's my sun, Dad, in a place where there is no sun. All I can ask of you and mom is to trust me, and to trust in the way you raised me."

He looks at me, really looks at me. I know he's thinking of the girl I was and looking for her in the woman before him. Jasper is smiling slightly in the corner.

"I just want you to be happy, Bells," he says. "If I know you're happy, I'll be fine. A phone call occasionally would be appreciated."

I throw my arms around his neck. He winces a bit, but hugs me tightly back as the tears stream down my face. "I love you, Dad, so much."

"I love you too, Isabella," he whispers. "Now get out of here before the mushy stuff starts."

I chuckle a bit and nod as I pull away and wipe the tears from my cheeks. Jasper comes to my side and helps me stand. "Be careful with my baby girl," Charlie orders him. "She's breakable."

"Yeah, no kidding," Jasper mutters and I smirk.

I take one last look at my dad from the doorway. Just as I turn, I see Jacob disappear out the front door. "What's wrong?" I ask. I look to Jasper next to me, but he still seems relaxed.

"He's letting you go," Sam says simply. I look up at Jasper, he nods to Sam.

Without another word, Jasper leads me out the front door and down the walkway. I try to keep the tears at bay until I'm at least in the car. I'd rather not fall to pieces in front of Jasper, but I sincerely doubt I'll be able to hold them back until I'm back with Edward.

Jasper holds the door of the Mercedes open for me, but this ridiculous, clumsy walking cast catches on something and I propel forward, smacking my head hard against the car.

I sit on the ground, dazed for a second before I press my fingers to my forehead and whimper "Ow."

Jasper sighs deeply. "You really need to go through in life encased in bubble wrap, you know that?" A good sized bump is forming on my head and Jasper spreads his hand across it. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," I whine. Damn, that hurt. He looks critically into my eyes, I imagine looking for signs of trauma.

"Do you feel sick?"

"No."

"Dizzy?"

"No."

"How do you feel?"

"Like an idiot."

"All right." He smiles. He lifts me into the car and straps on my seatbelt. Once in the driver seat, he peels away from the house. He drives with one hand and holds his other against my head. The ice of his skin feels wonderful.

He easily navigates the car with one hand stretched across the seats. Hopefully the ice cold will keep a big bump from forming. I hope I don't get a black eye. I can only imagine what's going to go through Edward's mind when he sees my head.

"Thank you, Jasper," I say, allowing the tears to fall.

"You're very sad. Should I let you stay sad?"

"Yes, for a little while, please."

With Jasper driving, the ride takes but ten minutes. I sink against his hand and try not to think about my father too much. Edward, with the rest of the family, is waiting when we pull up to the driveway, along with five others I've never met before.

"Who are they?" I frown as Jasper flies into the garage and slams to a stop.

"Tanya and her family," he explains.

"Oh great," I mutter. "More beautiful people and I look like I got in a fight."

"Yeah, but you look like you won," he says with a smirk.

Edward is opening the door and helping me out of the car, as the rest of the family gathers in the garage opening, curiously waiting to hear how it all went.

"What the hell happened to her head?" he demands of Jasper. Carlisle is instantly at my side examining what I imagine is a nice goose-egg my forehead.

"I tripped on this stupid cast," I mutter. Edward rolls his eyes.

"Honestly, Bella…" he sighs.

"I know, I know," I mutter. His cold lips press against my head and I close my eyes and sigh.

"There are people here who are anxious to meet you," he whispers.

"So I see."

"We'll let Carlisle look at your head first."

"You really ought to be wearing a helmet during your waking hours, Bells," Emmett quips.

Rosalie and Jasper chuckled. I'd scoff at that, but I'm not entirely sure he's not right.


	42. Chapter 42

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Disclaimer #2: I am not a doctor. I do, however, have extensive emergency medical experience and unfortunately have seen a few of these.**_

_**Thank you SO SO much for all the reviews! Thank you for indulging me in this story and sticking with it for so long. **_

_**Thanks to my magnificent beta! There is no beta better!**_

* * *

EPOV

"She's very pretty."

"Yes."

"She seems to like you."

"Is that right?"

"How could you not notice?"

"Bella," I sigh. "We've been through this."

"I don't think I've gotten the whole story."

"There is no story," I insist…again. "You're reading far too much into it."

"So, you're saying there's something to read into?"

"You're being overly emotional right now. There was never anything between Tanya and I."

"I'm not getting that vibe." There's a slight pout to her lips and I lean over and kiss them.

"Are you jealous?" I smirk. My tiger kitten is getting her fur up. Tanya's not even in the house. She's still out in the garage with the others as my family is recounting absolutely everything that's happened since I returned from Alaska after I met Bella. It is at times quite a colorful interpretation of events.

"She's beautiful, graceful, uninjured, can probably keep up with you, doesn't need to sleep, doesn't tempt you to kill her, and you can hear her thoughts; what's _not_ to be jealous of?"

"After everything we just talked about, love, how could you doubt how I feel about you? You wound me."

"I don't doubt how you feel about me; I just think you've left some details out about your romantic past. You have to admit that it wouldn't be unlike you, Edward, to omit some facts to spare my fragile human feelings." She crosses her arms petulantly.

"I haven't left out anything. She was interested; I was not. I politely declined. How could I be interested in anyone else when I was waiting for you?"

"Nice line," she grumbles.

"Are you forgetting that I'm a happily married man?"

"I'm glad that you're so entertained by this." She shoves at me with her foot and I can't help but laugh. Bella being jealous of anyone is just absurd. From the moment I met her, she captured my complete attention, for better or for worse.

"You should be more open-minded. She likes you."

"Uh-huh."

"At least you don't have to hear what she's thinking. Every time I walk through the school doors, I have to hear what the boys there fantasize about you," I counter. She studies me long and hard, looking for signs of any of my tells. I'm a good liar, but she always seems to be able to tell when I'm holding something back, whether she calls me on it or not.

"Rosalie will tell me," she finally declares.

"Yes, she would, if there were anything to tell. But there's not, my love, I promise." I press a gentle kiss to her forehead, being mindful of her latest injury. "They'd like to get to know you better. You're family."

Her face softens a bit. She will never ever see herself clearly. "I hope they don't think I'm being rude because I'm not out there. I'm stuck on this couch like I'm made of china."

"You're under doctor's orders to take it easy. It's quite a bump you have on your head," I soothe. "They'll be in as soon as they're done getting the back story."

She sighs heavily and turns her attention back to the television. Something is not right about her this evening. She's out of sorts. I can't put my finger on it, but she's irritable and she's so rarely in a foul mood around me. I thought at first maybe she was upset about saying goodbye to her father, but I'm not convinced now that that is it. Her head is on my shoulder and she seems a little tired.

Of course, I overanalyze every minute action and reaction in her. Still, something is just…off.

The others enter and gather in the living room with us. Emmett immediately changes the television channel to ESPN. He grins at Bella like the Cheshire Cat, but it's short lived when Esme snatches the remote control away from him and shuts the television off.

"We have guests," she says simply.

"I'm sorry," Emmett quips and turns to the Denalis. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Rosalie hits him in the back of the head. Bella doesn't laugh. Huh. Emmett always makes Bella laugh. Maybe she's just nervous meeting Tanya and her family.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella." Kate smiles. "We've heard so much about you already."

"Thank you," Bella answered, smiling back at her. "It's nice to meet you all as well."

"Welcome to the family," Tanya says, likewise with a smile. She has, of course, sized Bella up, but there is nothing amiss in her thoughts. Tanya's feelings for me were always purely physical. She never had any significant emotional attachment to me. I was merely a conquest, a challenge. Tanya, Kate and Irina are not used to unattached men, human or non-human, being uninterested in them…just like Rosalie actually. Only Irina and Kate took it easier.

"Thank you," Bella says shyly again. Jasper cocks his head at her.

"_She may have been a little down, but she was definitely in a better mood than this before,"_ he notes. _"This can't be because the Denalis."_

I knew it! I knew something was up. I shrug slightly to him. He looks over at Alice. Alice is talking animatedly to Carmen about her outfit.

Eleazar is likewise studying Bella, but for different reasons. He is fascinated by her. He has never tried to pinpoint a vampire-to-be's talent before and he is keen to try. He recognizes that there is something very different about her and I cringe when he is surprised Aro let her leave Volterra.

When she covers her mouth to stifle her yawn, I immediately turn back to her. "Would you like me to bring you upstairs now?" I ask softly.

"No, not yet."

"You didn't eat much of your dinner, Bella, are you still hungry?" Esme asks indulgently.

"No, no thank you," she replies. "I'm all right. I want to stay up and talk with everybody."

"They'll be here in the morning," I assure, shifting my position, ready to help her off the couch.

"I'm not ready to go to sleep yet," she insists. Her eyes are heavy and I frown at her. She looks very tired to me, but I imagine she doesn't want to appear the weak human in front of the Denalis and so I decide not to push the issue. If she's that tired, she'll fall asleep here and I'll just bring her upstairs.

Tanya and Kate engage her in a conversation about Phoenix while Eleazar stands off to the side and talks to Carlisle about Bella, too quietly for her to hear. Her speech is getting slurred and I know she'll be asleep any moment.

"_Shall I leave her alone?"_ Tanya looks at me. _"She looks just this side of conscious._" I nod slightly and listen as Bella's breathing evens out. I'll wait to move her so she doesn't wake up and protest.

"She's beautiful, Edward," Tanya says to me.

"Yes," I agree, pressing my lips to her forehead again.

"I never would have imagined that this is the girl who had you all tied up in knots last year." She laughs lightly. I'd prefer not to think about the time I ran away from Forks, from Bella, to Alaska. I'd rather not recall the time when I was ever unsure about being with her and being _able_ to be with her. The constant singeing burn at the back of my throat makes itself a little more known now when I think about it. It's always there, but it's just part of my existence.

"Yes, this is her."

"At least I was passed over for someone worthy. The others can't say enough wonderful things about her."

"They're very fond of her."

As if he was cued, Emmett turns and sees Bella asleep on my shoulder. "Aw man!" he protests. "She's asleep already? What the hell? It's only 9:30."

"Very curious," Eleazar finally says.

"What are your theories?" Jasper asks.

"It's too hard to tell while she's human," he says shaking his head. "But there is something very special surrounding her. I can see why Aro was so excited to see how she turns out. However, I'm surprised he let her go. I would definitely expect a visit in the future."

"Edward, why don't you bring her upstairs?" Esme suggests. "We shouldn't discuss her like this when she is in the room, even if she is asleep."

I agree. Bella is fascinating, but she would be mortified to discover she's the center of discussion yet again. Esme tucks her favorite blanket around her so she doesn't wake up when she's pressed against my cold skin and I rise up smoothly so as not to jostle her. I'm aware of Tanya following behind me as I bring her upstairs and lay her in our bed, pulling the covers up. I kiss her forehead again before standing up.

"You love her very much," Tanya notes standing in the doorway.

"Yes," I answer simply.

"You're awfully talkative!" she laughs.

"I'm sorry; I'm being rude."

"_I won't bite, Edward, I'm just curious about her."_

"What is it that you want to know?" I sigh, running a frustrated hand down my face. I sit on the bed next to Bella, who is in a very deep sleep already.

"I'm curious about your interactions with her."

"You interact with human males all the time," I reply.

"Yes, but I'm not in love with them."

"You're not in love with me either."

She laughs again. "Fair point. But I also haven't come across one I wanted to…keep."

"Maybe you will one day."

"_Maybe."_

Jasper appears in the doorway abruptly. He looks perplexed. "I'm sorry, Edward. But something's just not right here." He waves a finger at Bella in the bed. She looks pale and the bruise on her forehead is looking worse.

"She didn't feel tired before; she felt lethargic."

Carlisle appears behind Jasper, who immediately lets him by. I lean back across the bed and gently tap Bella's face. "Bella? Bella, love, wake up." There is no reaction at all. I run my finger quickly along her arm and tap her face more, raising my voice. "Bella!" She is not responding to any of the stimulation.

"There's a hematoma," Carlisle says, lightly running his finger over her injured head.

"What?" I respond weakly.

"An intracranial bleed from the trauma earlier."

"I thought she was all right," Tanya says. "She seemed all right when she returned."

"It's relatively common for patients of head traumas to have lucid intervals immediately after the injury," Carlisle says. The others have gathered now in the bedroom.

"So what do we have to do?" Esme asks. "Drain it?"

My eyes widen and my stomach falls to my feet. "Bella!" I frantically call again. "Bella, listen to me. Wake up!" My voice is so loud, it should have woken her up. It should have woken up the State of Washington.

"I can't do that kind of procedure here, it's too dangerous," says Carlisle, rejecting the idea.

"So we have to take her to the hospital then," Rosalie concludes.

"She doesn't have that kind of time," Alice whispers. I see in her mind Carlisle performing CPR on Bella as I am hysterically anguished next to them.

"Alice, are you sure?" Carlisle asks.

"Yes," she nods. "It happened so fast, but yes."

"_Edward."_

"Bella!" I shout at the sound of her voice. "Talk to me, Bella."

"She's unresponsive, Edward," Carlisle says.

"She's waking up," I insist.

"She's not."

"She just said my name."

"Edward," Carlisle says calmly. "She hasn't said a word."

I look at him for a moment before I reply. "I _heard_ her." I'm positive of it.

"_She's unresponsive, Edward,"_ he says.

"So, what do we do?" Emmett asks.

I look at Carlisle and then over at Bella, who is apparently dying.

And I'm decided.

"It will work if we move quickly," Alice says.

"_What_ will work!?" Emmett demands.

"I'm changing her," I announce standing up. "Now."

"Edward!" Esme is shocked. I stand up and pull the blankets back.

"Could you please all wait downstairs?" Carlisle requests of the rest of the room's occupants.

I haven't done anything to prepare myself for this moment. I figured it wasn't coming for another few months, but knowing Bella, I probably _should_ have realized it would be some sort of emergency situation. I pull the covers back from the bed.

The memory from the ballet studio stops me in my tracks. I am different than I was then, stronger. I _did_ stop, though I was terrified, just like now, that I wouldn't be strong enough to. I try to prepare myself for the taste of her blood, the scent of her that will be completely unhindered by her delicate, pale skin. I am strong enough; she wants it to be me.

"Remember Edward, you have to reseal the wounds to keep the venom in." Carlisle is staying close by.

This is the moment she has longed for. My seconds are longer than hers, and so I can take a few to say goodbye to the human and mourn the loss of all that she won't be able to do now, mourn the loss of the child we'll never have. She will never sleep in my arms again. I will never have the strong cadence of her breathing and heart beat to calm me. But the anticipation of all that she will be is building. This next moment in time will begin the experience of forever. This is the time that I give her the ultimate gift she craves, what we both crave.

I lean over and kiss her warm lips, then whisper in her ear. "I'm sorry for the pain you are about to endure, love. But I will be with you for every moment of it. And I will be here waiting when you wake up. I love you, Bella, please forgive me."

As my teeth tear the skin at her wrist, she screams out in agony. I want nothing more than to make that anguished sound go away; to make her not hurt and I have to remind myself that I _am_ doing that. My head swirls as the first drop of her blood hits my tongue. It is better than I remembered, sweeter, a delicacy so tempting that the monster does not want to deny it. My head swirls and I try to focus my thoughts and latch on to her screams. I _don't_ want to cause her that pain; I am _not_ doing this to kill.

"Seal the wound and move to her neck now." Carlisle methodically instructs. And I do. I am loathed to mar the perfection of the delicate column of her neck, but it is her request that I do and the monster anticipates the next taste of the finest tasting nectar it has ever encountered.

Her screaming does not stop; it only intensifies. I do what I can to ensure that I do not swallow her blood, but I am briefly overcome by the eroticism of the idea that my venom will flow through her veins, while her blood flows through mine, and I reflexively swallow.

The heathen growls. He looks at her writhing wildly, his brass ring prey, the one victim that has mockingly eluded him thus far. With a snarl, the demon moves in for another sample of the sacrificial lamb before him.

My face warms in ten small spots as her fingers dig into my skin. There is already more power behind her grasp. Her desperate touch pushes the monster away and instead of drinking deeply, I lovingly seal the wound and trap the venom inside.

I stand up. Her hands have fallen back to her side and her screams continue. All hope that she would be the first one to not endure this pain is now dashed.

"Please tell me she doesn't need more," I whisper.

"No," he says. "This should do it. You did well."

I do not feel like I did well, but if she's not dead, then I suppose it could be called a success. I sit down next to her on the bed and take her shaking hand in mine.

The next 34 hours are the most agonizing, tortuous, masochistic and longest of my existence. But finally, just as I feared, by my own hand, the metronome is silenced.


	43. Chapter 43

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**A/N: I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update. It was an important chapter and I wanted to take my time with it. **_

_**Thank you for all the wonderful feedback! I continue to be amazed at how many people are reading this story, quite frankly.**_

_**Now, I KNOW I said there were only one or two chapters left, but I just realized that it probably won't all fit in that. So though the story is still winding down, it'll probably wind down a little longer than anticipated.**_

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43.

JASPER POV

If Esme could cry, she'd be sobbing right now. The general tenor of the room is down. Nobody seems particularly _worried_ about Bella because everyone knows that eventually she will be just fine, but it came as a surprise nonetheless.

Occasionally, someone leaves the living room for a change in the monotony of waiting, but mostly everyone, including the Denalis, stay here. It's sort of masochistic I think listening to Bella scream. She's certainly not enduring it in silence. That's what's getting to Esme, the obvious pain Bella is in. Rosalie catches Esme as she streaks towards the stairs.

"You can't go up there," Rosalie reminds her gently. I send a wave of calm over Esme and it helps her get a handle on herself.

"She's in so much pain," Esme cries quietly.

"Yes, but she's not going through anything that we didn't; and let's not forget this is what she _wants,_" Rosalie says. "There's nothing you can do about it now anyway; it's too far along."

"We weren't ready; it was going to be different with her." Esme insists. "Carlisle was going to try to give her morphine at the same time."

"We were foolish to think we had any control over when it would be. This is Bella we're talking about here; I'm surprised she lasted this long," Rosalie says, releasing Esme from her grasp.

Bella is in a unique position. She has the added benefit of knowing what is happening to her, and knowing ahead of time what it would feel like, having already experienced venom in her system. It would have been interesting to see what effect morphine would have had on the transformation process, but we weren't afforded that luxury, and Rosalie is right, we really should have known better than to think we'd have any control over it. Leave it to Bella to bump her head and trigger the whole impending doom process.

She is quite clearly out of her mind with the pain if her screams are any indication, because she would never willingly let Edward or anyone else know she was in this kind of pain, especially since technically speaking Edward is the cause of it.

"I'm going to go check on Edward." I murmur to the group and silently climb the stairs. I'm sure he knows I'm coming, that is if he's paying attention to anything else besides Bella, which I'm sure he's not. He's frantic with worry and guilt, so I stand outside the bedroom door and proceed to manipulate his mood as well. Just out of curiosity, I give Bella a shot too. It doesn't work.

She is too unpredictable now and she is driven by the searing pain coursing through her body over and over. It's a blinding, all consuming madness. Everyone in the house can hear her erratic heart rate and ragged breathing. If I'm not mistaken, the process seems to be going a little faster than is typically the case.

While the others have been preoccupied with their anxiety for our new sister, I have been planning. Having a newborn vampire in the house is going to be no picnic, even if it is Bella. She'll be wild and inexperienced; unpredictable but not uncontrollable. Typically, she would be, but I have a vast amount of experience dealing with and handling newborns. I know all their tricks.

I wonder what she'll be like. She'll be special for sure, but how? What is this mysterious talent of hers that has manifested itself even in human form?

We're about to find out as Bella's heartbeat suddenly speeds up to dangerous levels for a human and then stops altogether.

* * *

EPOV

Bella's eyes flutter open at last. Though I knew it was coming and have certainly seen it in Alice's visions, I am still unprepared for the blazing red of her eyes. Gone are the deep, dark chocolate human eyes that used to look upon me with love and wonder. These eyes are blood red and disoriented, as she tries to find her bearings while taking in the flood of sensory information that she suddenly feels.

She springs off the bed and crouches into the corner. If I had a working heart, it would break for her now. The new inhuman nature, the fear, the monstrous need to fight and kill that must be bubbling over inside of her.

Of course, she's also the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Sick, I know.

"It's just me," I whisper. Before the transformation, she never would have heard my voice at that low a level, but her ears perk up and recognition floods over her face. She looks at her pearl white hand in amazement, not blinking. We're going to have to teach her all the little human mannerisms so she can be a part of that world again at some point.

I'm glad no one else is in the room for this moment between us. Carlisle and Jasper are hovering just outside the door; Alice and the rest of the family are tearing up the stairs. They won't intrude yet; they'll give me this moment with my love, my wife, though they're bursting with curiosity.

She studies her hands, feels her face, and then looks at me.

I still can't hear her thoughts. It's silly, but I had hoped that the transformation would break down whatever barrier her mind has to my talent. So, I am slightly disappointed.

She looks at me now, her red eyes widening in surprise. I look different to her. She will see all of us more clearly now, without the flawed human sight filtering her perceptions.

"You're beautiful." These are her first words. They ring out like a bell and God love her, the sound of her own voice startles her. It's melodic. Those that know her will notice a difference; not that I think she'll be seeing any of them anytime soon.

"I can't hold a candle to you, love." I smile. She doesn't look like she believes me. I gesture to the mirror. She moves with apprehension and stops before it. I chuckle at the incredulous look on her face as she sees her new self for the first time.

She turns to one side and then the other, studying her new flawless figure, smooth marble skin, shiny silky hair; and finally, her eyes.

"How long will they be like that?" she asks softly.

"A few months."

I walk cautiously to her and stand just behind her, slowing raising my hands to her hips. She jolts a bit. "Are you all right?" I ask quickly, out of habit.

"You're warm."

"Well, to you anyway." I smile at her. My hands slide around her waist and lock over her stomach and she leans back into my chest, covering my hands with hers. We take a moment here to marvel over how she turned out. For the first time since I met her, I'm not cautious when I touch her. I'm not afraid that I'll hurt her. Truth be told, I'm actually a little afraid that _she_ is going to hurt _me_.

"Well, what do you think?"

"You have always been the most beautiful person that I've ever met." I press my lips to her throat and she jolts again, spinning in my arms. Given her reaction the first time I ever kissed her, I probably should have expected this, but I'm still taken by surprise. She hops up and wraps her legs around my waist as the force of it sends me falling back onto the bed, taking her with me.

"Wow," she breathes against my lips. "Did I do that?"

"Uh-huh," I merely squeak.

"I've never made you budge before." She is genuinely intrigued by her strength. I think perhaps she'll cut loose and let go a bit when I take her out into the forest to hunt for the first time.

"At the risk of sounding ungentlemanly, love, you could likely kick my ass now."

"Really?" She has yet to move, perched above me with all her limbs wrapped around me. It's hot.

"Not only are you stronger than me right now, but I also, sadly, can't hear your thoughts to know what you're going to do. You could do quite a bit of damage before Jasper and Emmett stopped you."

She frowns a bit. The very thought of her ever being able to hurt me in any way is still completely ludicrous to her, I'm sure.

She leans down and presses her lips to mine again. The electric current that shoots from her into me is stronger than it ever was before. I seize her tightly, finally not feeling the need to restrain myself or hold anything back. She will not grow old and leave me in 80 or so years; she will be with me forever. I am in awe that it's actually happened. Her transformation is no longer something talked about in generalities. It's finished.

"You should hunt," I say in between kisses.

"Later," she replies moving to my neck. "You've been holding out on me."

I have. She really should hunt first, but what we're doing now is promising. Or it would have been if Alice hadn't just decided to kick the door in.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" she bellows in the doorway. "I _have_ to see her now!"

We both look immediately to the door where everyone is gathering. I look back to Bella, expecting to see her embarrassed flush and remember she'll never do that again.

"Wow," Alice breathes when she sees her.

"Her eyes are creeping me out," Emmett announces.

"Of course they'll change eventually, Emmett," Carlisle says.

"Yeah, but in the meantime, she looks demonic."

Jasper smirks at us. _"There's an awful lot of lust coming from that bed. It's so overpowering, _I'm _going to have to go take a cold shower."_

"Shut up," I grumble as Bella quickly scrambles off of me and looks warily at our family.

"Oh Edward," Alice sighs. "She's just beautiful."

"_I_ don't have anything to do with that," I reply.

"_You _are_ her creator,"_ she counters in her head before speaking again. "Of course, a day this important and she spends it in pajamas." Bella looks down at her attire as I sit up. She's still in the same t-shirt and flannel pajama pants that she was wearing days ago.

"Edward said it wouldn't be a black tie occasion," Bella answers, as Emmett snickers.

"How do you feel, Bella?" Carlisle smiles.

"Sort of…strange."

"It's a lot to take in, sweetheart," Esme says. Despite their curiosity, they are all keeping their distance. This is at Jasper's orders. "Give yourself time to absorb it all and explore what you can do now. Don't try and rush anything."

Bella just nods. She's still self-conscious. I cannot say I blame her; everyone is standing there beaming at her like she's the new puppy. It's Jasper that comes to her rescue.

"I really think Bella should hunt now," he announces. "And as funny as it would look, she probably shouldn't do it in pajamas." He gestures to the door and the Denalis filter out first.

"Do you want me to pick out your outfit for your first hunt?" Alice asks eagerly.

"Maybe we should let her get accustomed to it before making her try it in designer Italian boots," I suggest. Alice sticks her tongue out at me.

"_Seriously, bro. She _needs_ to hunt as soon as possible. I'll be waiting outside."_

I nod to Jasper. I should probably take her on my own, but she likewise could benefit from Jasper's expertise.

After the door closes behind them all, I look at her and she's scrutinizing her skin again. I wonder what she really thinks of all this. Is it what she thought it would be? Was it how she wanted it to go?

"Please tell me what you're thinking," I plead. "Are you mad at me?"

"For what?" she looks surprised.

"I didn't ask you; I just did it."

"You will have to explain exactly what happened," she replies. "But it must have been something serious for you to react so drastically."

"You were dying. You had a hematoma on your brain. It was actually Jasper that told us you were feeling lethargic," I babble. "I tried to rouse you, Bella, but you were unresponsive. Then Alice said you didn't even have enough time to get to a hospital. There wasn't anything that could be done --"

She cuts off my nervous yammering by placing her hands to my face and forcing me to meet her gaze. Such strength…such a turn on…

"Edward, Edward! It's all right. I'm not mad at you at all. How could I be? You saved me again! I only hope I turned out good enough for you."

"Good enough?" I asked stunned. "How could you not be?"

"I don't know; I don't know what I can and can't do yet." She shrugs. I'm astonished.

I glare at her, unable to believe she would think I would be anything but completely in love with her still. "It doesn't matter to me what you can and can't do; you're still my Bella." Her scarlet eyes look wary of my answer as I realize that she's been frozen in time, like all of us, and that includes her self-esteem issues. To emphasize my point, I drop a kiss at the base of her throat.

"That feels amazing," she moans, dropping her head back. She's absolutely right. Now that she can feel things the way I can, I'm eager to resume the physical side of our relationship. The anticipation of being with her completely unrestrained, not holding any of myself back, is too delicious to deny.

I start sliding her shirt up as she kisses me with more force.

Then I hear Jasper jumping through the window.

"_Dude, you are _not_ doing this now,"_ he insists.

"Jasper!" Bella shrieks in mortification, jumping back from me. I sigh and drop my head in defeat. "That's a rather rude way to enter a room, don't you think?" I smile as I realize she's as frustrated as I am. We'll have to give Jasper the slip in the woods. Maybe we can sneak off to our meadow.

"Pardon me," he exaggerates his near non-existent drawl. "But there are things that have to be taken care of before your lust."

Bella glares at him and disappears into the closet, reemerging seconds later in jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, yanking on her sneakers.

Jasper wiggles his eyebrows at her before disappearing out the window again. I take her hand, leading her to the window and she looks at me desperately. "You can do it now." I smile encouragingly at her. She squeezes my hand and together, we jump.


	44. Chapter 44

_**Hello! It's good to see you again! I'm very sorry about the gap in posting and I hope it's worth the wait!**_

_**Thank you to my patient beta who every now and then would poke me with a stick. Thank you to those still reading. Just one more loose end to tie up after this one, so maybe two more chapters. (Yes, I know I've said that before).**_

_**Thanks so much to my feedbackers and those that add me to your favorites list.**_

* * *

EPOV

"Ow! Shit! Bella, let go!" Jasper shouts. I laugh and he glares at me. He fights until he gets his calf out of Bella's mouth and then hops around. This is an interesting picture: Bella, standing over a dead deer carcass and Jasper hopping around like his feet are on fire. Bella looks mortified.

And highly attractive.

"Oh Jasper, I'm _so_ sorry!" She takes a step towards him, but he holds up a hand and she stays where she is.

"It's my fault; I got too close," he says but keeps his distance. Venom really stings. He looks over at me. _"This is going to take some getting used to."_

Because it's Bella, he let his guard down and got too close as she was polishing off her first deer. She doesn't have the control like the rest of us yet, which is why it's Jasper with us.

"No, Jasper, I feel awful! Does it hurt a lot?"

"It's really all right," he says, rubbing his calf and wincing. "I've been bitten many, many times. Besides, Edward thought it was hot."

My eyes widen a bit as Bella turns to me and smiles. Her red eyes dance with excitement. She's more like herself than I thought she'd be now. I knew she'd still be my Bella eventually, but I thought I'd have to wait it out a bit before her strong personality returned. Once again, she's done the opposite of what I thought she would do.

"I was really hoping that I wouldn't be that…aggressive," she confesses.

"You're doing beautifully, Bella," I assure her.

"What if I'm too aggressive around…the wrong person?" she asks apprehensively.

"You're not going to be around any humans for awhile, Bella," Jasper says. "We won't let you."

She nods, looking around us into the dense forest, no doubt noticing every detail that she never had the capability to see before. I cannot help but stand in awe of how beautiful she is, how perfect. Her pearl white, flawless skin, shiny chestnut hair, a figure that rivals the Venus de Milo… She's always been beautiful. She hasn't thought so, but I have. And because I'm selfish, I can admit to myself that she's beautiful _and_ eternally mine.

We run through the woods again, I pace myself with her. She's stronger than Jasper and I right now, but not faster. Jasper is both intrigued by the control she's showing now and a little smug. He had high hopes for her after her transformation and so far, she's exceeding them. He's also obsessing over what her talent, if she has one, might be. He's watching and analyzing every move she makes, every reaction, categorizing every emotion. He's convinced that she's going to be able to do something amazing. As far as I'm concerned, she doesn't need to do anything more to impress me. She's already got enough love and compassion in her to rival Carlisle and Esme and that's just fine by me.

"What's this?" she asks as we come upon a stone cottage.

"It's vacant." Jasper shrugs. "It's just a little cottage on the property."

"It's yours?" she asks.

"The family's, yes," I reply.

She sizes it up. No one's ever really paid any attention to it. It's not really good for much way out here. It's not all that big, and no one has really showed any kind of interest in it.

"Can I go in?" she asks.

"Of course," I reply.

"It's not locked?"

"There's nothing in it," Jasper replies. "It's completely empty."

Empty, but still decently kept. It's kept up enough just to assure any stray hunters or hikers that it does, in fact, belong to someone. And like the main house, it does exude a slightly eerie quality to humans that helps keep them away.

It's been awhile since I've been in it myself, but of course, I remember it perfectly. Bella walks around the inside. It's not big, just a few rooms. She smiles when she discovers the small courtyard and overgrown garden outside the back of the structure.

"Nobody's done anything with this ever?" she asks sizing the building up from the outside.

"No one's ever really thought of anything to use it for," Jasper replies.

"Does it belong to anyone specific in the family?"

"No, not really," I reply.

She goes back inside and scrutinizes it. Jasper and I look at each other curiously. He shrugs.

"How much do you think it will cost to fix it up?" she asks.

Jasper chuckles. _"How _much_? I can't wait for the day she truly understands that the cost of _anything_ has never been an issue for us."_

"Well, I suppose that depends on what was going to be done to it," I reply.

"And you're sure nobody else wants it?" she asks again.

"Nobody has expressed an interest in it," Jasper confirms.

"Bella, do _you_ want it?" I smile, finally getting excited over being able to do something for her and give her something with some sort of tangible value to it.

"Well, I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes," she mutters looking down.

"No one will begrudge you for it," I assure her. I'm not sure anyone in this family would ever begrudge her anything.

"What do you want to _do_ with it?" Jasper finally asks.

She looks at him and smiles coyly. "_Something,_" she replies cryptically.

"You're not going to tell us!?" He's incredulous. _"It's not like we're not going to find out eventually!"_

I laugh. "Bella, if you want it, it's yours," I say. "You can do whatever you want with it. I will gladly help you, and I'm sure Esme would enjoy the project, as well."

Jasper arches an eyebrow at her and then grins wickedly. "Are you going to turn it into a love shack?"

"Jasper!" Bella shrieks. She's mortified over all the insinuations Jasper's been making. I smile. She'd better get used to it. Wait until Emmett really gets going.

"_Are_ you?" he goads.

"Go away!" she directs pointing her finger at the door. "I want to talk to Edward alone."

He looks over at me. _"She's pretty amazing for a newborn. I'll go far enough out to give you some privacy, but I'll check on you later. Extraordinary or not, she's still a newborn." _

I nod to him and, with one last curious look at Bella, he leaves. He'll go just far enough to be out of ear shot, but he intends to move back closer every now and then to make sure Bella's not attacking me. I suppose it's possible that she could, being newborn and not entirely in control, but I'm starting to think that it's unlikely. I laugh to myself at the irony; up until now, it's always been Bella that was so sure that, though I _could,_ I never _would_ attack her.

"Can you still hear him?" she asks after a moment.

"No, he's far enough away," I confirm for her. "You're driving me crazy, Bella, what are you thinking?"

"I just…I don't know." She looks down at the floor and I realize that if she were still human, she'd be blushing furiously right now. I push back the small pang of loss I momentarily feel for her human traits that are gone, because what we've gained is far more significant. "I thought maybe we could make it a little hide-a-way for ourselves. I think it would look wonderful with bookshelves and a piano."

"You want to _live_ here?" I say. I'm a little surprised and yet, the idea is immensely intriguing. It's small, but just far enough away that we could be alone. We wouldn't be too far at all. Not to mention, Rosalie and Emmett frequently have their own home, separate from the rest of us.

"I don't know about _live,_" she says, as she looks around. "I guess maybe. I just thought we could make it into a nice little retreat."

"We could put a bedroom in the back," I say, being drawn in easily by her idea. "And there's electricity here."

"Do you think Carlisle and Esme would be upset?"

"No, not at all."

I cross the small distance between us and loop my arms around her waist. She feels perfect beneath my hands, finally not too breakable. I think it will take me a little time to get used to knowing that I can't hurt her now, and perhaps there will always be a part of me that fears for her physical safety. After all, my fear for her well-being was cemented forever in my psyche the moment that I fell in love with her.

"Would you like that?" she asks. "Our own space; somewhere we can share the things that we love together."

"It's a wonderful idea," I murmur, gently kissing her neck. "I wouldn't like it; I would love it." Not that I'm not equally positive we would frequently be interrupted still. Alice would never stand for us being 'away' too long.

"I can't believe how much _more_ there is to _feel_," she moans, dropping her head back. I nearly explode at the husky tone in her voice.

"Now you see," I say softly, "just how much I have wanted you."

"How did you resist?"

"Centuries of practice."

"One century," she corrects and sighs, "Amazing." I couldn't agree with her more. "I'm not sorry I had the experience of making love while human though. But now there's nothing to worry – oh, Edward." She steps back abruptly; one hand covers her mouth and the other slides across her stomach. "Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry."

I'm instantly confused. What could she possibly be sorry about?

"For?"

"I can't give you a baby now; I can't give anyone a baby," she whispers.

_That_ is what she's – how could she possibly think – I can't form a coherent thought.

I pull her back to me. I underestimate how much strength I need to employ to move her. I'm not used to having to work so hard to get her where I want her to be.

"Isabella," I croon in her ear, holding her tighter than I have ever dared; it feels incredible. "Do not dare, for a split second, think that anyone is upset by that. Do you understand me? There is _nothing_ to be sorry for."

"But part of you must have hoped…"

I cover her lips with my finger. "No. Bella, the concern has only ever been for you. Everyone was so scared for you, the panic…" I break off, remembering how my stomach fell through my feet when I realized she was dying. "The only thing they're thinking about is how happy they are that you made it through, nothing else. There is no part of me that hoped for anything but your safety. It is _you_ that completes this family; it is _you_ and you alone that completes _me. _ Don't you feel it, Bella? Can't you see that now? Do you feel something is missing?"

I look at her, agony rolling through me. Now that she's discovering this world and what she is capable of, what if I'm not enough? What if I'm not enough to keep her here with me? How can I bear to watch her go? I could never begrudge her that. After all, I myself had my own period of rebelliousness. I realize though that I could never let her go; I would follow her shamelessly now anywhere she chose to go.

"No, I…" she shakes her head firmly. "It's hard to put it into words. Everything I feel is so powerful. I don't need any more than you. I just…well, I know what it meant to people and I was just afraid that you were secretly hoping I could give you that --"

I cut her off again, this time with a kiss. "Now, you're just being silly, Bella. You give me _you_ and that is everything I need." I smile wryly at her before I continue. "Anything else throws us out of balance." She smirks in return and I know the worst of it has passed. "Our family is only about who we are, it is never about what we can give anyone."

"Oh really?" she arches one beautiful, no longer delicate, eyebrow at me. I sense danger. "What about the computer, and the cell phone, and the clothes; and the car you want to buy me?"

"That's different," I insist. "That stuff only costs money."

"_Only_?" she laughs and trills like a bell.

"You are the gift, Bella," I whisper. "I couldn't possibly be happier or love you more."

She throws her arms around my neck and squeezes me tightly. It hurts. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" I involuntarily yelp. She loosens her grip, but does not let go. "I love you so much. I can't believe this day has come. We really are going to be together forever."

"Did you doubt it?"

"Yes, of course, I did."

"Explain that please."

"Well, look what happened," she replies. "I thought for sure I would get hit by a bus or something before you could change me."

"You would destroy a bus now if it hit you."

"That's still hard to imagine."

"For me, as well."

She trails her hand down my chest and then slips it under my shirt. "Is Jasper still gone?" All I can do is nod. Her scarlet eyes smolder and I'm mesmerized. Oh the role reversal! It is _her_ turn to use the overwhelming force of her eyes on me. Though the color and even shape of her eyes is different, she is still there behind them, and I know this look well. And at long last, I can give in to it again.


	45. Chapter 45

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Thanks to my beta! And my new pseudo beta too! I used to never use a beta. I always just wrote and posted. I'm mellowing in my old age, I guess!**_

_**Being as how it's a little longer now between posts, I thought you'd like a little longer of a chapter.**_

_**Thanks for the feedback! It's great! I love hearing from you!**_

* * *

EPOV

Bella's days are filled with working on the cottage, while mine are filled with…

School.

Alice continuously tries to coax me out of my obvious displeasure at being here without Bella, but it never works. Being here without her isn't any fun…and it's boring…and it's lonely…and it's…stupid. I'm certainly not acting my age over the whole thing, or I suppose I am if you're considering I was frozen at age 17. The monotony reminds me of the time before she came into my life and I hate thinking about what I've come to refer to as 'the dark time' of my existence.

Alice isn't the only one who tries to 'cheer me up' at school. There are quite a few girls who are angling to 'ease my boredom', and 'offer me comfort' and other things I wish that I couldn't hear. Alice and I stick to our story that because of Bella's injuries from the car accident, she's being tutored at home by someone Renee hired through the school.

Of course, Bella can't be around humans right now, so the tutor is tutoring Rosalie, which puts her in a really bad mood. Our Denali relatives make themselves scarce during the sessions. It's best not to have to answer the question of why there are so many people in one house.

High school has reverted back to being my purgatory again. It is no longer the happy place it became, where I could spend all day with Bella; watching her through someone else's eyes even when we weren't together, letting my senses be devoured by her when we were.

This just…sucks.

"Oh Edward, you're so sad," Lauren Malloy coos as she gets to her desk located unfortunately to my right. The desk to my left is Bella's and it's depressingly vacant. Alice sits behind me. I give Lauren a half-hearted smile and look away.

"I have an idea!" she says as if it just occurs to her, I arch an eyebrow at her. I know her idea.

"_Nice knock offs. Too bad Prada doesn't make that shade and the buckle's the wrong color."_ Alice looks down at Lauren's footwear in obvious disapproval.

"Why don't we skip the next class and go hang out somewhere? You look like you need someone to talk to." She leans over a little, attempting to give me a better view of her cleavage, but my eyes remain on hers. In her head, I can see how she hopes all that will go down, I turn to her for comfort in my weakened frame of mind….

Gross.

I have to say, sometimes girls are much worse than boys in their thoughts on sex, and boys are pretty bad.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have a test in my next class," I reply. "I'll just call Bella on the break." I smile innocently at Lauren and her eyes get a hint of annoyance to them before she returns to her so-called charm.

"You must miss her during the day," she adds, with a little pout. _"Not that there's too much to miss. It's nice to have all the attention on _other_ people for once."_

I smile at Lauren. "It's like I can hardly breathe the same when I'm not with her." Alice snickers behind me. Jessica Stanley sighs from her seat in front of Lauren.

"What a lucky girl," Lauren says dryly.

"Oh, it's me that is the lucky one," I counter. Lauren grows more annoyed, now trying to figure out how she can close the door on my talking about Bella. "It was so difficult to find a girl who I can comfortably share silence with." Alice snickers again. "She knows when I just want nothing more than to hear the sound of her voice and when I am content just to breathe the same air that she does. Is it like that with you and Tyler, too? Aren't you dating Tyler?" Her lips flatten into a thin line. Jessica thinks its adorable how I've 'misinterpreted' Lauren's intentions. Jessica and Lauren are not genuine friends; they're rivals who need each other. "I had no idea how my life would change when she moved here. She's changed everything for me."

"_You're being uncharacteristically obnoxious to the humans today,"_ Alice notes. Maybe I am, but this particular human has been nothing but obnoxious to Bella since she's moved here and I am really quite done pretending not to notice.

Mr. Harper calls the class to order and puts an end to my obnoxiousness.

Outwardly, I'm the picture of the astute, prepared student. I look like I'm paying attention, ready to be called on. But really, my mind is home, imagining all the things I am missing right now. I suppose these first days of Bella as a newborn can be likened to a parent watching a child's first steps, or their joy and wonder when they discover something new in the world, like someone blowing bubbles. Yesterday, while at the cottage, Bella said that the house didn't get enough sun, so Emmett responded by uprooting a tree. She said the next thing she knew she and Emmett had cleared almost an acre around the house.

_Bella_ was pulling fully grown, centuries old _trees_ out of the ground.

And I missed it.

Of course, I saw it in Emmett's head, but that isn't remotely the same.

However, when I do get home, all her time is spent with me. Our physical relationship after her transformation is nothing like I imagined it would be. It's so much more. It's so much more fervent and consuming. I used to roll my eyes at the thoughts and comments of the others in my family, believing in my own mind that someone could be just as satisfied with an intellectual and emotional relationship as they could with a physical one.

It is not that in hindsight I think I was wrong. If I could turn back time, there is nothing I would do differently in mine and Bella's relationship in that regard. There were just too many risks, and the one incredible time that I did give in only solidified that opinion. But I will say that my eyes have definitely been opened now to what I was missing. Now, the moment that I see her, my body is dominated by a frenzy of desire for her. I thought I was obsessed before? No. Not quite like this.

"_Edward, get yourself in check over there. You're not skipping the rest of the day."_

Looks like my libido was doing some decision making.

"_That's better."_

Alice is smug behind me. Everyone would tease me about how much I would enjoy a sexual relationship with Bella. They got endless joy and entertainment out of watching how worked up I got at them over the very idea of what physical intimacy with her could do. For the love of God, her arms had sleeves of bruises after our wedding night, which she, of course, never gave a second thought to; in fact, she'd _expected_ it!

And I am all the more besotted by her now. I covet the things she makes my body feel…

"_I swear to God, Edward, get that lust under control. We're walking a fine line as it is right now and we have to keep up appearances. Remember how much everyone likes living in Forks. Don't make the family have to move any earlier…"_

I hate having a psychic for a sister…especially one that's an expert at guilt!

I drop my chin to my hand depressed again at the thought of having to wait all day to see Bella again.

"_I don't blame you, Edward, I really don't. I miss Jasper during the day too."_ Her thoughts turn unexpectedly to their last little tryst and it's the mind bleach I needed. I sit up with a look of total disgust on my face. _"There's a bucket of ice water for you, eh?"_ she snickers behind me.

All right, fine. I'll stay the whole school day, but I won't like it.

* * *

BPOV

"Edward!" I greet when I see his cell number on my screen.

"I miss you," he announces without ceremony into the phone.

"Aw, I miss you too." And I do. I feel like I shouldn't be experiencing anything without him there to see it. He seemed so broken-hearted over the tree thing.

"Come here. I hate this place without you." His voice is a cross between a whine and seduction.

"You know I can't do that. Jasper will, and I quote, 'take me down like a sack of potatoes.'"

"I'm not sure what that means," he says.

"Me either," I confess with a shrug that he can't see.

"It doesn't sound very gentlemanly though."

"No."

"Why don't I cut out of here early and I can come home and be ungentlemanly with you in an entirely different way."

I smile. I've been occupying myself during the day with working on the cottage. Jasper and Emmett have also been teaching me to fight. But when Edward gets home from school, all my time is devoted to him and all the new physical activities we can do together.

"Or you can be a good boy and I can talk you through your frustration."

"That's not likely to work." He mutters.

"Isn't Alice entertaining you?"

He pauses before answering. "Let's not talk about Alice." He says it with a slight growl and I laugh. "I want to come home; I want to see your smile." He's so sweet and he says the most amazing things.

Of course, he's also a hormonal teenager who has lately been getting quite a bit of sex. These are the perks at not needing to sleep at night.

"I'll tell you what, I'll sit down on the front steps of the house and I won't do a single thing until you return today."

"I am such a selfish man, Bella that I am inclined to agree to that."

"Not at all," I insist as Jasper appears at my side. "I want to experience all of this with you. I think you've certainly earned the right to be a little selfish, especially after all we've been through."

"You have always been too good to me," he sighs into the phone. "The bell's about to ring."

"Have fun in Calculus." I try to be cheerful, but I'm pretty sure he can still hear the sadness in my voice. I hate to be parted from him; even if it is just temporary. He sighs heavily and I disconnect the phone.

Jasper looks at me where I'm standing on the porch. "Did you get it?" I have a surprise for Edward, but unfortunately, I needed help with it. I sit down on the steps. I've been working on these little human mannerisms, like blinking and shifting my weight.

"Yes, the exact one you asked for. Esme put it on order. They'll hold it for us."

"Make sure that you don't think about it when he's around," I order sternly. He laughs and sits next to me. He doesn't even have to think of these kinds of things anymore. Oddly enough, acting human comes as second nature to the rest of them. They've had decades to perfect their façade.

"I think I can handle it. I've gotten pretty good at misdirecting my thoughts where you're concerned."

"Really?"

"I think it was best for everyone if Edward wasn't aware of how many times I actually thought of killing you."

"I'm sorry it was so hard on you, Jasper."

"You still worry about the silliest things, Bella." He laughs. "I'm glad your sincerity carried over into this life though. I would have been sorry to see that go."

"Am I doing all right?"

"Yes, you're doing wonderful."

"Because I haven't encountered a human."

"You will."

"Do you have any pointers?"

"Yes, don't kill them."

"Gee thanks, Obi Wan."

"I do what I can." He shrugs.

"Can I ask you something, Jasper?" He reads my nervousness and reacts with hesitancy when he nods permission. "Edward told me a long time ago that when he hunted humans, he relied on his gift to determine who he should kill, the murderers and rapists; and he would only kill those who society would benefit from losing."

"Yes, he's told that to me, as well," Jasper replies, still unsure of my line of questioning.

"If I'm out of line asking, Jasper, just tell me. It's something I've wondered about, but I didn't think that you'd want to talk about it before, when I was human."

"You have my curiosity piqued now."

"Well, I was wondering, if when you killed humans, if you changed their mood first?" I blurt out.

"Yes. Usually, I made them apathetic."

I'm surprised by his candor. I thought I was going to have to pull it out of him. But I suppose since the subject is no longer really taboo between us, he can afford more honesty.

"I see," I reply simply and pause before I speak again. "I can't _do_ anything, Jasper."

"You want a talent that will make it easier for you to kill humans?" He raises his eyebrows.

"No!" I say quickly and he laughs. He knew what I meant the whole time. I smack his arm and he rubs it. I'm still surprised that I can hurt my indestructible family.

"Give it time, Bella," he says as Eleazar, Carmen, Carlisle, Esme, Tanya and Kate emerge from the woods returning from their hunting trip.

"Bella," Kate says smiling widely and stepping forward. "Do you mind if I try something?"

I look from Carlisle to Esme and finally Jasper. Jasper looks over to Carlisle. He's immediately suspicious of anything that can set off the easily ignited newborn fighting instincts – well, easily ignited for others. I don't seem to be _quite_ as volatile as the others were.

"It's all right, Jasper," Carlisle assures. "Eleazar wants to do a small experiment."

"Scientific testing?" I murmur walking down the stairs towards Kate, remembering Edward's snide remark to Aro in Volterra.

Carlisle chuckles. "Yes, I guess you could say that."

"May I touch your arm?" Kate asks permission.

"Sure," I say.

She locks her hand over my bare arm. All eyes are on us as I stand there wondering what's going on.

I look at Kate and shake my head in confusion. "Now what?"

Kate smiles widely then laughs. "And now nothing it seems! You are immune to me, too!" She lets go of my arm and turns to Eleazar.

"I am?" I ask. "What is supposed to be happening?"

It is Carlisle who explains, "Kate's talent is something sort of like Jane's. What you are supposed to _think_ you feel right now is painful electric shock. But, since you are immune to talents based in the mind, you felt nothing."

"I am almost positive, Bella, that you have a shield," Eleazar says.

"A shield?" I am confused.

"Of course," Jasper says, joining us from his spot on the stairs. "I can't believe we didn't think of that before."

"Yes, of course!" I say sarcastically. "What does that _mean_?"

"You're _blocking_ any vampire's talents that have influence over your mind: Jane, Aro, Kate, Edward," Jasper explains. "Someone can influence your body, like me; but no one can influence your mind."

"Unless you let them," Kate replies.

"Unless I let them?" I repeat.

"Eleazar, do you think she can control it?" Esme asks.

"It's likely," he replies. "If she can control whether the shield is raised or lowered over her mind, then I think she will likewise be able to project it to cover others."

"Others?" Jasper asks. "How many others? Do you think it's just one like Renata?"

"Well, it all depends on how strong it is. There's only one way to find out," Eleazar says. "We'll have to try it out. We'd have to try different things."

"Let's get started!" Jasper is more excited than I am it seems. Undoubtedly he is already using his military strategist's mind to run through how I would be beneficial in a fight, which is sure to send Edward's brain into the stratosphere.

"No, not without Edward," I say suddenly.

"What?" Jasper is incredulous and Esme gives me a knowing smile.

"I don't want him to miss this."

"Are you serious?" Jasper asks.

"He should be here for it. Besides, we'd need him anyway, he has a mental talent."

"Bella, it's not something that you're instantly going to master," Jasper insists. "We'll still be working on it when he gets home."

"It's all right, Jasper," Carlisle says in his typical peacekeeping manner. "Bella wants to wait for Edward, so we'll wait for Edward."

Jasper groans and turns away. He'll get over it. Edward would be devastated if he missed this. I turn around to follow Jasper back to the porch. Kate giggles and grabs my arm, trailing along behind me.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Just seeing what happens if I turn the juice up." She shrugs.

Everyone stays with Jasper and I on the porch while I wait for Edward. Jasper is not the only one frustrated by my insistence that we wait for Edward, but if Eleazar is right, and I can control this shield, then I want Edward to be the first one to experience it. I want Edward to be able to finally hear an unguarded thought of mine – of course, not always, but when I want him to.

Esme and I turn the conversation to the cottage and how things are coming along. I never thought that I'd be a handy person, but I surprised myself by my steady painting hand, how quickly geometry comes to me when it comes to the carpentry, and of course, my new ability to clear forests.

Then while the others discuss their various theories on my shield, my thoughts drift a bit. If they're right, and I have this shield, and I can control it, what do I want to be the first thing I let Edward hear? A memory? A sentiment? Just his name?

And what if I _can_ protect him with it? What if I can protect him from Jane or Aro? I would never again have to worry about the look of agony that Jane put on his face in Volterra. I would never have to see that again. He would never feel that again, as long as I was by his side.

But that's it. Of course, we already know I _can_ protect him. I did when I threw myself in front of him to try to protect him from Jane, and then I did it again with Emmett. It is somehow possible. It is a little difficult to conjure that hazy human memory and my face furrows as I try to puzzle it out.

I look at Jasper and then Carlisle and Esme. Could I protect them all at once? Or will it only work on one person like Renata's? I close my eyes and try to concentrate, try to see it in my mind and imagine what it looks like. Some kind of clear, elasticized bubble.

I'm broken from my thoughts by the arrival of Edward and Alice, as Edward's Volvo – which he has taken to driving again, since he doesn't need a missile resistant car – speeds up the driveway and screeches to a halt in the garage.

Edward didn't miss everyone's thoughts and excitement. I stand as he flies to my side. His honey-colored eyes reflect wonder and curiosity. I'm sure he's listening to everyone's theories and ideas. Then he seems to scrutinize me, no doubt pushing against the barrier surrounding me, knowing that there might be a hole somewhere. I smile slowly at him.

"Nice try," I greet him.

"A shield," he murmurs, not taking his eyes off of me. "It's true. And you can control it." He's absolutely positive of it.

I'm warmed by his confidence in me, which is instantly interrupted by a frustrated sigh from Jasper.

"_Now_ can we get to work?"


	46. Chapter 46

_**Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.**_

_**Special thanks to my beta who has been a rock and has given this story a superfast turnaround and excellent second set of eyes! Also, I'd like to thank my new pseudo-beta who I picked up along the way and dragged into this fandom from my previous one.**_

_**Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback and added my not so little story to your lists. I appreciate it more than you know! Thank you for reading.**_

_**Well, it's done, stick a fork in it. Thank you for being so supportive of my first foray into writing in this fandom. I have more to come, I promise. **_

_**This story in its entirety is posted on a new site that I will be sharing with two other authors: **__**.com**__** . It's a **_**VERY **_new site, so there is not much over there right now, but it'll grow and hopefully turn into somewhere you like to spend some time!_

46.

~BPOV~

Exploring my shield is becoming a bit of an obsession.

For everyone.

It's a good thing that nobody needs to sleep because we've been at this for days. At the moment, it's all that anyone wants to do. They're a little riskier with their tests when Edward isn't around. I'm not sure why they bother with that since as soon as he returns, he can see in their heads what they've tried to do.

I'm getting a feel for it, but I haven't touched upon its full potential in the least. Viewing my shield as a bubble seems to work the best. I can almost _see_ it. I imagine it forming a strong but thin, invisible layer over my whole body. I envision it sliding away to 'drop it', as Kate refers to it, in order to feel her talent. She promises that she is using her 'low' setting when she shocks me, but I'm skeptical of that.

We're taking a break right now. Jasper, Kate and Eleazar are discussing what the shield might be able to withstand. I've been very careful around Edward because I haven't decided what I want him to hear as my first thought to him. I think I know how to do that. I envision the shield tugging down and the crown of my head peeling through first. Things feel a little different to me then, when it's, what I assume is, down. I feel exposed. It's an odd sensation to explain, but it is definitely something that I've never felt before.

Edward is sitting on the front steps. He's watching the 'discussion' the others are having, as it plays out, with disdain. He doesn't like me being attacked naturally. He has a hard time resisting the urge to defend me. He's repelled by how quickly the others can fall into battle mode where I'm concerned. I can't blame them for their curiosity, as I am just as curious to see how it works, but I also can't blame him either. I still forget the kind of thought transition he has had to make with my transformation.

I sit down next to him and he drops his chin to his hand and balances his elbow on his knee.

"They're getting awfully creative over there," I note, hooking a thumb over in the direction of the others.

"It's nothing compared to the ideas they're _not_ giving voice too," he mutters.

"I'll bet," I chuckle. There are days where I could quite frankly kill to hear the things Edward does, just for an hour or so; to find out what people _really_ think. It must be pretty enlightening; though Edward tends to see it as more of a burden or defense mechanism than a gift.

"Emmett's ideas are the most grand," Edward continues. "He's hoping that by contact with others, you'll be able to project _their_ gift by filtering it through you and directing it at others. In his perfect world, you can project numerous gifts at a time."

"That's…ambitious," I decide. That would be some kind of powerful vampire. I can only imagine the lengths Aro would go to in order to acquire that person's talents for his trophy case.

"Yes," he says dryly.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that I can't do that."

"It doesn't matter to me what you can or cannot do," he insists.

"I've always appreciated that," I say with a smile. I lay my hand on his cheek, overcome with gratitude by his continuing ability to see things in me that I've never been able to; to see beauty where it hadn't existed.

"Don't be ridiculous," he rolls his eyes and turns away and my hand drops.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" I ask.

"It is _I_ who is grateful for _you_. I always have been. I never really believed you could be meant for me."

My eyes go wide in surprise. "What did you say?"

"This is the endless argument between us. You never see yourself clearly. You never believe that _you_ have anything to offer anyone else --" He begins a familiar rant, but I place my hand on his forearm to cut him off.

"No, I mean _why_ would you say that?"

"You brought it up."

"No, I…" I shake my head as the pieces fall into place. _"Holy crap! I think he heard what I thought!"_

"Holy shit!" he yelps, hopping up and I grab his hand automatically.

"Edward, really, must you swear?" Esme gently chides. But he doesn't hear her. He's looking down at me incredulously. He looks like he can't believe his eyes. I don't remember ever seeing this particular expression on his face. He looks around at the family, all of whom have stopped to look inquisitively at us.

"I can't hear anyone," he says softly.

"Edward's gone deaf?" Emmett asks. "That'll be damn inconvenient."

"No, I…" he stammers.

"_He can't hear what they think?"_ I drop my hand from his arm and stand up, stepping up a step higher so I can meet his eyes. "Are you all right?"

He looks at me like he's never seen me before, then his expression turns to one of intense concentration.

"What's going on?" Tanya asks. "What are the rest of us missing?"

Carlisle, Eleazar, and Jasper step closer to us curiously, but everyone else stays rooted to their spots.

"No, I can hear you now, Carlisle," Edward says, keeping his eyes locked with mine. "And I can't hear her."

"Me?"

"There's nothing coming from you again," he sighs. "I was so hopeful." He cocks his head in the direction of Eleazar, but continues to look at me like he's never seen me before, running a gentle finger down my cheek. "Yes, Eleazar, it's very interesting. You may be right."

"Enough of the carnival show, what's going on?" Rosalie demands with a snap.

"Well, it seems that Bella must have somehow covered Edward with her shield and while he was covered, he couldn't hear our thoughts, but could hear hers," Carlisle marveled. "The connection is lost now. She seems to have gone back to her default setting of blocking."

"It went away when she stopped touching me," Edward murmurs.

"Did you feel any different?" Esme asks Edward.

"I didn't register anything," Jasper says, "anything other than shock that is."

"Bella, touch me," Alice demands marching across the yard to me, holding her forearm out. "Try and recreate what you just did."

"I'm not sure what I did," I reply softly.

"Try it first without contact," Jasper suggests impulsively. "Just stand next to her."

Alice stands before me and looks at me expectantly. What is everyone expecting? What am _I_ expecting? I recall what I was thinking about when I was just talking with Edward. I was envisioning what my shield looked like; the bubble. I envisioned the clear bubble around me, but subconsciously I must have also envisioned it around Edward, so I try it with Alice. I see in my mind's eye the two of us surrounded by some sort of shimmering film, gliding delicately over us. Closing my eyes in concentration and trying to hold the image there, I hear Alice speak softly.

"I've called you in my mind twice now, Edward."

"I haven't heard a thing," he replies

"It can shield more than just herself," Eleazar states.

"So far, just one," Rosalie pipes in.

I see the bubble ripple around Alice and myself. I can feel that I'm losing it in the distraction. "That's interesting," Jasper says.

"Everyone just shut up for a second," I order with authority and Emmett snickers. I want to see how long I can hold this. How much time do we have in a fight? Why would not allowing Edward to hear others be a good thing? As usual, answers only conjure more questions.

I open my eyes; the bubble pops.

"It's gone now." I say needlessly.

"Alice felt more and more secure the longer she was under Bella's shield," Jasper says.

"Alice, did you happen to see anything?" Carlisle asks.

"More experimenting with Bella," She says, looking at me thoughtfully. "After a break though, she's tired and would like to speak with Edward - alone."

"I do?" I ask, and look over to Edward. The others slowly drift away and Edward and I are left alone. Wordlessly, we sit back down on the steps.

"That just figures," I grumble, dropping my head into my arms. He gently hooks his finger under my chin and raises my face to his.

"What's wrong?" he asks in his beautiful velvet voice. "You're doing wonderfully."

"Well, I've been wracking my brain trying to think of what the first thought of mine should be that you hear and you got 'Holy crap, I think he just heard me.' Of all the memories that I wanted to show you, when we first met, our first kiss, when you first played me my lullaby…"

I let my voice drift off pathetically and he stays silent. When I look over at him, he looks sheepish…almost guilty.

"What?" I ask skeptically.

"That wasn't the first time that I heard you," he blurts quickly. My eyes widen and he rushes to elaborate. "I wasn't sure at the time that it was really you, I thought I was delusional, I know how you hate it when I hear things that you didn't intend me to!"

Well, I was never a fan of him hearing the things that I said in my sleep, that's true. But nothing could be done about that.

"When?"

"In the emergency room after your car accident," he says. "And then after your surgery and right before I changed you. You just said my name, except one time I think you asked me to stay with you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I shake my head.

"I thought that I was losing my mind." He shrugs. "I thought I was so distraught that I was imagining it, but the last time, right before your change, I just _knew_ and went on instinct, thank God for that." He cups my cheeks in his hands and kisses me lightly. The only thing I can think of is that you were so vulnerable, that your defenses were completely down." He winces at the end. "Are you very angry?"

"Angry? No, of course not. You didn't do anything wrong."

I rest my head on his shoulder and wrap my arms around his. He presses a kiss to my forehead. "You should be excited now, Bella," he says. "This is a very exciting time for you. It's supposed to be crazed with need, but instead it's packed with discovery. Don't push yourself, just enjoy it. I know I am. Every time I see you learn something new about yourself, I want to burst open with pride and joy. You make the last 80 years of loneliness worth it."

"Edward," I whisper, truly touched by the genuineness of his words.

"Not one of us _chose_ this way of life. Only Emmett seems to really have embraced it, whereas the rest of us seem to be endlessly trying to make up for the more sinister qualities of our species. But now with you, seeing how well you adapt and take all the good and make the bad virtually non-existent, I look forward to it, and I can truly allow myself to because you're _here_ and it's no longer a distant hope or idea. You make me want to be better at this, Bella. You've made nearly all of us re-evaluate our own theories on our lives; that's for certain."

I lean in to kiss him, letting my emotions tell him how much he means to me. It feels wonderful to finally be able to experience him entirely as he is, he no longer has to hold back and until recently, I couldn't appreciate just how much he had to. I let him relieve some of his tension in the kiss and release some of my own in return.

I keep my eyes closed and tip my forehead against his. _"There has _never_ been anything bad about you to me. Ever. I have no regrets; I couldn't possibly as long as I have you."_

He drops his head to my chest, wrapping his arms around my waist and inhales deeply. "Don't stop yet," he whispers.

~EPOV~

Bella's inner voice falls around me like silk. The magnificent sensation of it is almost unbearable. All this time, the one person I have wanted so desperately to hear, craved it, coveted it, begged higher powers for it, finally her voice rings through my head like a lullaby; softly soothing and creeping its way into the darkest corners and bringing light.

I stay in my spot, tucked against her chest as she recalls all the memories she has saved for this moment. Tapping into a vault deep within her and conveying them as meticulously as she can.

This is the first time since my own transformation that I have truly felt protected and loved. Of course, being able to see the thoughts of my family I have known that they love me, but from Bella, right now, I feel cherished as well. It is amazing. Since I met her, she has never stopped amazing me.

I flinch in reflex when suddenly her pain the day I tried to leave her in the forest pops through. "Oops, sorry," she apologizes quickly.

"No," I respond. "Let me see it. I'm too greedy not to see everything that you'll show me."

"_I'm not sure how long I can keep this up."_

"I'll take whatever I can get."

"_And I will give you everything that I can."_

I sigh deeply. I have never encountered a creature that can give as much as Bella can. The voices of our family are gone while I'm under the protective wrapping of her shield. I can't see it; and I'm not sure I can feel it, but I have total faith in it. I reach a hand out anyway and grab at nothing, not moving my head from her chest as her fingers stroke through my hair and her mind remains blissfully open to me.

"_What are you doing?"_

"Just trying to figure out how the shield works," I reply. "It just seems like I should be able to feel something tangible is all."

"_You're the son of a scientist."_ She chuckles.

"Or it's my insatiable need to devour every detail about you that I can."

"_And what will you do once you have?"_

"That's impossible," I assure her confidently. "Every day I'm more enchanted by you. For all the studying I have done over the past decades, I have learned the most from you in the last year and a half."

"_Mmm…I don't know. You've unlocked the chamber now,"_ she teases me. _"You know what they say about too much of a good thing…"_

I look up at her and frown. The voices of my family swirl back into my mind and hers is gone. She's a little vixen, but I smile at her game, all the more intrigued. She can be very coy and flirty when she puts her mind to it.

Alice comes flying out the front door.

"At least one of us is still watching for trouble," she mutters stopping in the driveway with Jasper right next to her.

"What's going on?" Rosalie asks emerging from the front door, followed by Emmett, Carlisle and Esme, the Denalis slide quietly out of the back of the house and come around to meet us.

I see the vision in Alice's mind. Jane is nearly here. Demetri is with her as well as other members of the Volturi guard. I can't say that I never expected them not to come and check on Bella.

"It's Jane," I reply with a growl. "And friends."

The panicked voices of my family immediately disappear and they're replaced with one solitary angry voice. _"Devious little Jane with her devious little talent! She wants to inflict pain on my family? I'll show that little she-devil pain!"_ My eyes widen at the venom in Bella's thoughts. I truly had no idea that she could get this fierce. I am shamefully turned on when I should be on my guard. The new discovery of how her shield seems to work is definitely going to be distracting. Bella's inner rant continues and I roll along with her enthralled. _"Finally! I can rip her shreds! How dare she harm _him_! Rotten little troll with her masochistic, sadistic, smug little face…"_

It is my fascination with the tigress before me in the form of my wife that makes me completely miss Jane and the others emerging from the forest before us. Rosalie shoves me and points. I didn't hear them approach. I can't hear them now. Bella won't let me hear them.

"Bella, let me out," I quickly demand.

"No," she growls.

"Bella, they can't think for a second that I don't know what's coming," I urge. "You _have_ to let me out."

"Not until _she_ is gone." Her eyes are locked viciously on Jane's approach. She is remembering what Jane did to me in Volterra and she is steadfastly resolved that it won't ever happen again. Not when she is around.

This is very bad.

And an incredible turn on.

Though she is just as experienced with the Volturi as I, she is too young to know strategy. Her only urge is to protect now, which she apparently intends to do no matter what.

"What's going on?" Carlisle asks.

"Bella's shielding me from Jane," I quickly explain. "I can only hear _her_."

Bella's deadly red eyes remain trained on Jane. She finally has significant prey in her sights. The anger rolls through her and I glance at Jasper, hoping he will diffuse some of it so I can get through to her and make her understand that we're defenseless now.

Jasper steps over to her and takes a hold of her upper arm. _"I _hate_ when he does that!"_ She responds to his calming effect, long enough to listen rationally.

"Without Edward, Bella, we will have no idea what Jane is planning, who she is going to focus on. How will you know who to defend? How will you know who to help?"

He asked the right question at the end. She looks back up to me, and I'm able to hear again. It's an odd sensation having all the voices in my mind come back in a flood. The stimulation is almost overwhelming. She sticks to my side like she's fused there as we march forward to meet the guard.

"Welcome again, Jane." Carlisle nods. Though his tone remains polite, it lacks the warmth he showed on her last visit here.

"Carlisle." She nods in return. "I have been instructed to come and check on the progress with Bella."

"See for yourself." Carlisle gestures to us with a sweeping hand.

She arches a brow and sends a measured gaze over Bella. It's meant to show indifference, but even she notes Bella's perfection, the blazing red of her eyes, a reminder of Bella's strength now. She looks to me and I can see that they are also here to test her. Aro is far too curious a creature to stay back and wonder about the talent that lay dormant in Bella as a human.

"_Edward, this is going to get ugly. Look."_ Alice jumps into my thoughts and I see Bella and Jane facing off. I tamp down the urge to tear Jane's limbs off right now. I would not be able to fend off the guard though and my family would have to get involved. I have no desire to fight with the Volturi – before, now or ever – but neither will I allow Jane to toy with my wife.

"Just get on with it," Bella says suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Jane arches an eyebrow at her. She is not used to anyone outside of her masters speaking to her with any air of authority.

"You've come for an experiment," Bella concludes. "Go ahead and try it, but I think we both know what the outcome is going to be."

"_Why that insolent, little…"_ Janes seethes, but snaps her thought back when I growl at her. _"So sure of herself, is she?"_ She returns the indifferent tone to her voice. "We'll get to that." SHE_ doesn't run things here_! _I don't know what Aro is so interested in. This Bella is entirely too headstrong for the guard. No one will be interested in her little opinions and morals._ _She cannot be anointed. There is no room for her."_

Jane ignores my knowing look. She is exceedingly jealous and she knows that I know it. She hates that I can see it. It is my turn to smirk smugly.

"You, you're Emmett," Jane says suddenly, changing the course of her interest. Fucking Felix.

"Yeah."

"Felix wanted me to give you a message," she says, her voicing ringing innocently.

"And what's that?" Emmett asks.

"Oh, it's more of a demonstration, a physical retaliation, I suppose," she sings.

"_What the? Oh great! This will be..."_ Emmett's thoughts break off when I hear Jane focus on pain. Everyone cringes, anticipating Emmett's agony at Jane's whim. But we're all surprised, and yet not, when he stands there waiting…and waiting. He looks at me, but I can't hear his thoughts.

Bella is shielding him. There's ten feet between she and Emmett. It seems that someone doesn't need to be right next to her to be protected.

"Well, would you look at that?" Jane whispers menacingly. She's not the slightest bit entertained by the situation, or Bella's apparent talent.

"_Oh, thank God."_ Emmett is relieved. _"I really wasn't looking forward to _that._"_

"How intriguing," Jane hisses. "So you can project? Aro will be most interested. But you are not the only one with that ability"

What? She can attack more than one person at a time? That's something I _didn't_ know. My family groans internally in unison. None of us suspected that. Jane's hatred and need to feel superior is outweighing her need to keep that part of her talent a secret. I don't believe that Aro will be too pleased with her later on. Jane is by far his favorite.

"Pick one," Bella suddenly pipes up stepping in front of me.

"What?" Rosalie shrieks. Jane correctly reads everyone's surprise and thinks Bella is bluffing. She's looking forward to wiping the smug look off of my wife's face. She won't bask in her glory long after that. They're outnumbered here.

"Bella, love," I mutter in warning, suddenly wishing she would shield me now so I can hear her idea and not at all comfortable with her position out front.

"Or more than one, if you'd like." Bella shrugs as if it could matter less to her which one of us Jane hideously tortures for however long she feels like it.

"Surely you've discovered for yourself that I will not be toyed with," Jane sneers at her. "I do not have the time, nor the inclination, to participate in your little games." She maintains her sinister mask, but she's not sure Bella isn't about to humiliate her.

"Aro sent you to test me, did he not?" Bella counters. "I would imagine he'd be displeased with you should he find out later that you didn't give him a full report." Jane can hardly deny that. Aro would see for certain, instantly upon Jane's arrival in Volterra, that she didn't fully test Bella's ability when she had the chance. At this point, given what just happened with Emmett, there would be no excuse.

"What makes you think that I won't pick them all?" It's a battle of wills. Neither one wants to a demonstration of just what the other can do. And I'm comfortable not discovering any of it in the presence of the Volturi.

"I'm sure that you will," Bella is sickeningly sweet.

"_She'd better know what she's doing."_ Rosalie is scared.

"_There's an awful lot of confidence coming off of her,"_ Jasper thinks. _"She's too young for this. She knows nothing of strategy."_

"_I'm going to enjoy this."_ It's the last thing that I hear from Jane.

The next thing is silence, and then Bella's images in her mind as she focuses on her shield – her bubble, as she's taken to thinking of it. She can see it cover everyone, a thin, shimmery sheen. But it's durable. It's not as remotely as delicate as it appears.

Much like Bella herself.

That's ironic, isn't it? Or maybe it was foreshadowing. Maybe we weren't paying close enough attention to the signs. Or it could be that we were studying them too hard and were missing the forest for the trees.

This is not a good time to discover just how easily distracted I am when I don't have every voice for miles running amuck through my mind.

"_Finally!"_ That's Bella's triumphant voice. _"I'm useful! What's the little demon think of that, Edward? Oh, damn. You can't tell. That's a disadvantage now, isn't it? I'm sorry."_

She's sorry? She's saving us all from unspeakable agony and she's sorry? Only Bella.

Jane's face hardens as she, I'm sure, is discovering that everyone is safe from her as long as Bella is around. I assume that's what she's thinking, though I don't actually know and that's unnerving.

Demetri lays a hand on Jane's shoulder. She looks back at him as he steps forward to take over role of spokesperson. On instinct, I mutter to Bella to unshield at least me.

"_But what if…"_

"It's fine," I assure her.

"_Aro won't be happy with this at all."_ I immediately catch the end of Jane's thoughts.

"_Boy, she fucked this up. Finally, the golden child is in for a 'come to Jesus' meeting of her own."_ Demetri, while not happy with the show of power from Bella, is happy to see Jane uncomfortable.

"We're sorry for the intrusion," Demetri says. "Aro wished to follow up on Bella. You'll remember he was most interested in how she turned out. I'm afraid we've been remiss in sending you his well wishes, Carlisle."

"Yes, please return mine to him," Carlisle nods to Demetri. "Bella is doing very well. She constantly amazes us."

Demetri casts a sidelong look in my direction. _"You'd do well to stay as far off the radar as possible."_

A threat? It seemed more like a warning. I imagine after their report to Aro, he'll be making his acquisition plans. That's a problem for another day. This group is not strong enough to carry through with that today. They are merely reconnaissance.

"We'll be on our way," Demetri says with a nod to Carlisle. "Be well." He gives one last curious look at Bella, then a disgusted one at Jane, before he leads the party away. I expect we'll see a stronger show of force one day. There is too much talent here to simply leave us in peace. But again, that's for another day. I'm sure that Jasper will spend endless hours hatching defensive plans to cover every possible scenario.

The tension remains long after the Volturi are gone.

"This has certainly been an eventful trip," Eleazar finally says. A rumble of laughter slowly makes is way across the yard through us all as the tension breaks.

"Damn, Bells, that was great," Emmett says, striding over to her and plucking her up in a large bear hug. "I thought that you were going to make me suffer a bit as payback for something, but I never felt a thing!"

"You were amazing, dear," Esme says with a smile, placing her hand gently on Bella's face when Emmett lets her down.

"Yes, it was a nice change," Carlisle laughs. "In the end, it all came down to Bella." He looks at me with the gaze of a doting father, before taking note of how uncomfortable Bella is being the center of attention. "That's useful new information on Jane."

"Yes," Jasper says. "We have lots of new plans to make." He looks over at Emmett and nods towards the back yard.

"Yeah, we should start strategizing," Emmett says catching on. They lead Rosalie and Alice away to the backyard. Eleazar mentions the Denali family should see to preparations for return to Alaska and Esme and Carlisle agree to help them. Before long, Bella and I are alone out front.

"I can sure clear an area. Do I smell bad or something?" she jokes.

I throw a smile in her direction. I, not so suddenly, feel the need to act upon my earlier feelings of excitement and lust. "We need to work on our communication," I say waving a finger between the two of us

"_We should develop some kind of handle signal,"_ she murmurs in her thoughts, playfully stepping forward, letting her hand drift down my thigh making her point.

"I can get used to this form of communication," I say, trailing kisses down her neck.

"_You don't want to strategize with your brothers?"_ she goads.

"I want to go to the meadow. I want to experience this new form of communication without you hiding your thoughts."

"_The uncensored version? I don't think you can handle it."_

She's saucy and playful, riding high on the vampire equivalent of adrenaline from her showdown with Jane. I'm evermore bewitched by her as I cover her lips with mine and she yields beneath me.

"Please, Bella. Please let's go to the meadow. I'll beg if I have to."

"_How can you be sure they're really gone?"_ She breaks away, worry in her eyes.

"I don't give a damn right now." I groan, moving to her delicious collarbone.

"_Edward."_

"Alice, love. Alice will see it. It'll be embarrassing, but I'm sure we'll be fine."

She studies me for a long moment. _"All right, but if Jasper and Emmett see me in a compromising position, you're a dead man, Cullen."_

I roll my eyes. Only my love.

"They won't have the chance unless you let me compromise you," I growl lustfully.

Bella smirks saucily. _"Never let it be said that I'm incapable of being compromised,"_ she says as she winks and streaks away towards our meadow, with me in close pursuit.

THE END


End file.
